Fate Magnus Bellum
by 00Altair
Summary: On the eve of the Great Holy Grail War, Ruler summons a Servant to aid her in duties as mediator. Answering her call, Saber appears. A knight whose ties to the Holy Grail War runs deep. Both set out on their journey, soon realizing that an even greater conflict was on the horizon. Uniting both Red and Black, a battle to save the world begins. This is the tale of a Saint and a King.
1. Act I-1: Summoning of the King

**_AN:_** I own nothing! Anything else is to be stated at the end of the chapter. I'm also not good at fight scenes, so I apologize in advance for that. I leave such things to your imaginations.

Also, please review :D

* * *

 _Standing within a cavern was a young man wearing a white suit of armor. He had blonde hair and green eyes. In his right hand was a broadsword of ornate design. That, along with his appearance, suggested that the young man was a Knight._

 _Clenching his hand tightly upon the grip of his sword, he spoke._

 _"What is this...!?"_

 _Despite his wish, this was not something he wished to condone. Every moral fiber in his body telling him that the sight before him was just wrong._

 _Inside the cave, numerous corpses, skeletons to be exact, were laid out on the ground. They covered nearly everything in his sight. In its center laid the object which he had been seeking throughout the madness that was the War he had been summoned in._

 _The Holy Grail..._

 _Despite its name, it was anything but holy. It had a vile sinister aura surrounding it. Just being near was enough to cause him step back in revile. How the magi who created that could ever call it holy... he just couldn't find the right words to express his thoughts._

 _And during all this, he also saw numerous children lined up and slowly making their way towards the Grail. One by one, they fell into the abyss where the Grail itself was situated, and the artifact itself would glow once every time a child fell._

 _However, one of those children wasn't standing in line. She blonde hair and blue eyes, and she wore a light blue dress while going barefoot._

 _"Ah, Saber! Just wait alright~? I'll be with you in a minute."_

 _In fact, she had a happy smile on her face as she watched them fall, telling them just before they did that they were being good children for following her commands._

 _That child was none other than his Master, whose life he had sworn to always protect._

 _Yet, after seeing this... and having been told of what the grail's true purpose was._

 _He knew what he needed to do... and with that-_

 _ ***STAB***_

 _"E-Eh...?"_

 _Drops of blood began to flow where the blade stabbed her. She looked behind her and saw the blonde knight, the Servant who in her eyes was her ideal prince._

 _"Sa...ber...?"_

 _"I too have committed a grave error. Both you and the grail... truly you both are twisted existences that need to be erased!"_

 _He retracted his sword from her and then kicked her into the abyss. As she fell, Saber saw that she had a somewhat serene smile on her face._

 _The white knight had no words to say about such a sight. Thus, he remained silent as his master fell to her death._

 _Afterwards, he knocked unconscious every child that were all still making their way towards the grail under his former Master's spell. He would have to bring them back up to the surface soon before he disappeared from this world. He sighed to himself that perhaps fighting for the Holy Grail was complete foolishness from the beginning._

 _He then raised his sword, the blade glowing with golden light._

 _"So the Grail was corrupt from the beginning...? Perhaps it should be made anew then...?"_

 _Saber quickly turned his around and raised his guard, widening his eyes in shock as he recognized the person in front of him._

 _"You're still alive...!?" How had he not sensed him coming!? Saber believed it was due to his being distracted with what had happened just now._

 _"My apologies Saber..." The figure in front of him spoke. It was a man, but thanks to where he was standing and due to the darkness of the cave, one couldn't tell what he looked like. Saber however immediately recognized him regardless of the fact._

 _"However, I cannot allow you to destroy the Grail. Not when there's a chance of it being purified of its corruption." He stated. "As such, I kindly ask that you step aside. Judging from the way you're holding your that holy sword of yours, I doubt you have any plans of using it for your own purposes."_

 _"As if a vile construct such as this could ever be purified!" Saber retorted. "If you wish to continue on with your plans, then prepare yourself!"_

 _"Very well then...!"_

 _With that, the two clashed. A brilliant flash of light emanating from the White Knight's sword._

* * *

 ** _FATE/MAGNUS BELLUM_**

 ** _ACT I_**

 ** _Chapter 1:_**

 ** _Summoning of the King_**

* * *

"It seems it has begun once more, hasn't it?"

Inside a Victorian-era styled room were two people. One was a young woman sitting at a desk with her hands in a finger tent. She had a dark brown hair and eyes. She wore a light colored coat with dark red pants and brown boots. Underneath her coat was a white buttoned shirt with a large red bow tied around her neck. She could be considered quite attractive, but the cold look in her eyes dismissed such thoughts.

The other was a man who looked to be in his late twenty's to early thirty's. He had long hair that reached past his shoulders, and wore a red coat over the black suit he was wearing. Over the coat, he wore a yellow scarf. He had a stern look in his eyes.

The man was none other than Waver Velvet, otherwise known as Lord El-Melloi II. The woman sitting at the desk with the Vice-Director of the Mage's Association. Her name was Lorelei Barthomeloi, though she preferred to be called by her last name. She was known as the "Queen of the Clock Tower."

"Indeed, but to think that the Greater Grail would reappear once more..." The long-haired man responded to the woman's words. "Wasn't it destroyed during the last original grail war sixty years ago?"

"It was, by the very same Servant who won the war to be exact. The Einzberns themselves confirmed it." Lorelei replied. "However, information from sixty years ago and from a family that is already dead isn't exactly reliable. There could be a chance that while it was destroyed, pieces of it remained."

"And then someone picked up those pieces. Because of that, we have over a dozen grail wars happening across the world every few years right?"

Over the next half-century, someone created a replica of the Greater Grail's design and framework, and then spread the information of the process towards various magi throughout the world.

However, there was two majors flaws in their design that was shared by all the Fake Grails.

The first would be the number of Servants being summoned. Normally, seven would appear to do battle. However, the Fake Grail Wars would sometimes only feature only five Servants at best despite the leylines of some locations being suitable to hold the ritual. The second problem would have been that the Fake Grails were unstable. Most would suddenly break down upon themselves during the war, causing an end to the fighting and leaving the Masters who fought with nothing.

Thus, not one grail war has ever spawned a true winner. Though this hadn't stopped Magi from trying over and over again.

And now it was starting up once more...

"Still... for it to appear in Trifas of all places..." Waver began thinking aloud. "Perhaps the Yggdmillennia clan were the ones responsible for the replica grail wars? It would also explain why, despite there being already seven servants, more can still be summoned. The Leylines in Trifas would be sufficient enough for it to be a possible feat."

Yggdmillennia, a clan known for placing priority on quantity over quality. Over sixty years ago, the clan head, Darnic Prestone, participated during the last grail war. After that and a few decades later, the clan withdrew from the Mage's Association due to differing ideals in the pursuit of Akasha. There was a high probability that Darnic was the one who was responsible for creating the replica grail blueprints and spreading them throughout the world.

Though the question would be why? Why would he go through the trouble of letting others know of the process behind the ritual and create their own variations of the Holy Grail War?

"Waver Velvet." The young woman began. "Or should I be referring to you as Lord El-Melloi II? Either way, you have experienced participating in one of the attempts to replicate the Heaven's Feel Ritual and actually survived it despite your inexperience at the time. What do you make of the situation?"

"May I speak freely Lady Barthomeloi?" He began.

"You may."

Waver momentarily took a deep breath before speaking.

"To be quite honest? I say we're in a situation that demands immediate attention. Especially so since its the Yggdmillennia clan we're dealing with. As you know, they wish no restrictions on their research and have been against the authority of the association for many years. If we do not deal with this now and allow the problem to flourish, then we will come to regret it. Especially with Servants on their side."

"You sound quite frightened. Are these Servants so terrifying that one of your station would be afraid of them?"

"I've already seen what they're capable of first hand, and my general opinion of them is that they are not to be underestimated. My own Servant had the ability to summon his entire army as his Noble Phantasm. It would take a miracle for a magus to keep up with them."

The young woman known by the name Barthomeloi merely narrowed her eyes at that. Surely it was an exaggeration?

"I ask this of you. Allow me to take a group of Magi in order to take care of this problem."

She raised an eye at the sudden request.

"Oh? Are you wishing to reclaim a chance at getting the Grail then?" She said, eyeing the man's left hand which showed the Command Spell on it.

"No, I do not. I would just rather have this problem taken care of sooner rather than later. And leaving the Grail in the territory of the Yggdmillennia Clan would most certainly spell trouble for us." Waver spoke. "I also know people in this building who've had the Command Spells appear on their bodies but have yet to summon their servants. With their help, I can-"

"You're suggesting I send out a team of Masters then? What happened to the task force that we sent to investigate this event? Could they not handle this themselves?"

"Can't. They're all dead." Waver replied as Barthomeloi widened her eyes. "Though one of them manage to keep it together long enough to come back here before dying just last night."

"I see. Did he say something of importance?"

"A Servant had massacred them. Whatever's going on, if a Servant intentionally massacred a group from the Association, then it isn't anything good." He replied with a grim look on his face.

"A single servant massacred fifty of our elite magi?"

"Like I said, Servants are not to be underestimated." The long-haired man once more stated. "And given that the territory belongs to the Yggdmillennia clan, they're the most obvious suspects."

"I see." Lady Barthomeloi closed her eyes as she went deep into thought. A few moments passed before she looked up again and back towards Waver.

"You will have your request granted. The Grail is indeed noteworthy enough of our attention, and I will not take a massacre of fifty of our own people lightly. The ones who are responsible for the crime must pay in blood." She stated. "However, as you will be the head of this operation, you will be held responsible for anything that happens during it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Lady Barthomeloi." Waver nodded his head in acknowledgement of her words.

"Good. Then go gather your task-force and leave as soon as you are able."

Wave once again nodded and left the room. He had quite a lot of work that needed to be done.

* * *

"What's the matter Caules?"

Sitting inside a room together were two young teens. One of them was a boy. He had brown hair and blue eyes, and wore square framed glasses too. He also wore a white jacket with black pants and shoes. The other was a girl who had long wavy hair the same shade of color as the boy's as well as his eyes. She also wore similar clothing to the boy. She had a cute appearance overall.

Unlike him however, she was sitting in a wheelchair, indicating something was wrong with her.

"H-Huh?" The boy spoke up when he heard the girl call out to him. "Ah, sorry sis. I guess my mind likes to wander a bit these days."

The two were none other than Caules and Fiore, children of the Forvedge family of the Yggdmillennia clan. Fiore was the elder child among the two, and thus, Caules was merely treated as something of a spare to his elder sister and being taught mostly the basics of magecraft.

Despite this, he came to enjoy magecraft itself although he never showed interest in it in the beginning. And in spite of the preferential treatment his sister got over him, and the constant comparisons between him and her that caused him some levels of irritation, he didn't really hate her for it. He thought it was only natural considering she showed far more talent than him as a Magus.

That and his sister was overall a gentle person, making it hard to hate her at all.

"Are you thinking about the Holy Grail War?" Fiore asked.

"Kinda. It just feels a little like a dream that out of all the people in our clan, I'm chosen to participate too." Caules replied as he stared at his left hand where his Command Spells were located. "I've never really been the ambitious type, you know that. And I don't really have any wish I want granted either... so I was just wondering why?"

"Isn't it already too late for that sort of thinking?" His sister smiled at him. "After all, we have already summoned our Servants, so there's no backing out now."

"Hah... I guess you're right." Caules stated as he looked at his sister. "And I can probably guess what your wish is going to be."

He turned his gaze towards her legs. Despite her talent, she was born with the inability to use her legs due to a deficiency in her Magic Circuits. It could easily be healed with the right methods, but doing so would mean sacrificing her life as Magus, a choice Fiore didn't wish to make despite desiring to be able to walk on her own two legs. Thus, the girl chose to remain a cripple.

"When compared to Archer's wish... mine is so selfish don't you think?" Fiore muttered with a sad smile.

"People are selfish all the time aren't they? And Magi are supposed to be the most selfish of the lot." Caules casually stated. "Well, even if I don't have a wish. I might as well help you achieve yours."

"Oh? You'd really do that?"

"Of course. Siblings have to look out for each other don't they?"

"You know Caules?" Fiore smiled warmly at her younger brother. "Despite being somewhat rough, you're quite gentle."

Caules merely blushed a little in embarrassment at his sister's words and turned his head away from her, causing the other brunette to giggle.

"Fiore."

Both sat up straight as they heard the voice of their grandfather.

He stood at the entrance of the room. Despite his age, he looked quite the opposite. He looked to be in his late twenty's to thirty's. He had long blue hair and eyes, and he wore an outfit just like Caules, though his had a more grander appearance to it thanks to the white cape he wore. He also had a cane in hand.

His name was Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, the Head of the Clan.

"What is it Grandfather?"

"Come with me. There are things we must discuss."

With that, Fiore did as she was told as she controlled her wheelchair with magic and followed her grandfather out of the room, leaving Caules by himself.

 _'So what should I be doing now...?'_ He thought. _'I might as well go and check on Berserker. I think she was in the garden the last time I saw her...?'_

* * *

Both Darnic and Fiore made their way down the hallways of the Yggdmillennia Castle, going deeper and deeper down the building as they went.

"How is your brother?" The elder man began, surprising Fiore with the suddenness of the subject. Though she quickly replied all the same.

"He is well. Though he does wonder why he was chosen as a master. He said it himself that he doesn't really have any wish he wants granted. And I believe him."

"You are both fortunate." Darnic stated. "Had it been a Grail War of the usual setup, the two of you would have been forced to fight each other to the death."

The two came to a stop at a door. Darnic opened it and went in, with his granddaughter following soon after.

It was a room filled with numerous pillars with water filled parts of the floor as well. There, in the middle of the room, was a large circular object floating just above the ground. On it was something akin to a star shaped scar, and within said scar were the figures of what looked liked many human women.

At first glance, Fiore could guess what it was.

"Is that...?"

"Indeed, that is the Greater Grail." Darnic replied. "Or to be exact, it's a replica of the original. But unlike other replicas, this one is the closest to the original in every aspect and even greater."

"So the reason why the grail war is taking place in Trifas is because of this...?" Fiore stated as she gazed in wonder at the Greater Grail. "I half-suspected as much, but how were you able to make such a close replica?"

"Having fought during the first actual grail war, I caught a glimpse of it during the final stages. Unfortunately, the original was lost during the conflict but pieces of it remained enough for me to be able to understand it."

"Then the other grail wars..."

"Experiments of mine. One does not simply replicate an artifact of the Holy Grail's scale with ease." Darnic replied. "Though most of them were failures, I was able to gather enough data that I was able to create this. However, there are still a few flaws in it. And I think you can already guess what one of them is."

"The summoning of so many servants? I heard from Gordes that the Association is planning on summoning seven of their own servants, and that by teaming them up, they plan on taking this grail for themselves."

"Correct, though I'm not too bothered by it." Darnic began smiling. "In fact, I welcome it. The more Servants the Grail absorbs, the more powerful it will become. There is one more problem that would have to be addressed... one I did not account for due to my desire to perfectly replicate the Original Grail."

"And what is that?"

"The Ruler-Class Servant."

* * *

"Ah, Laeticia!"

Walking about on school grounds heading towards the front gate entrance carrying a large bag was a young woman with long blonde hair and amethyst eyes. Her clothes consisted of a white sleeveless buttoned shirt and a purple tie underneath a dark purple jacket issued by the school. She wore short shorts of a matching color as well as thigh-high socks and black leather shoes.

She turned around as soon as she heard someone calling her name, to which she saw another pair of students approaching her. Laeticia regarded them both with a smile.

"Silvia, Sirius, good morning to you both." She nodded as they came close. The two both had matching blonde hair and blue eyes, as well as looking somewhat similar to the other, a clear indication that they were both siblings.

"Don't you good morning us!" Silvia exclaimed. "What's this we're hearing about you suddenly going to England all of a sudden!?"

"Indeed. It's not like you to plan something like this so suddenly." Sirius added. "Did something come up?"

"Something of the sort. There are a few things I need to take care of there. And afterwards, I'll be heading to Romania next." Laeticia replied.

"Wait..! First England and then Romania...?" The other blonde girl cried out in surprise. "How long are you supposed to be gone?"

"Within two weeks if everything goes well, but I'm not really sure."

"And the Professors are letting you go just like that?" The blonde male inquired.

"Yes." Laeticia nodded in reply. "They were very kind as to allow me to. So long as I do the assigned homework they gave me, then I'm allowed to be as gone as I like."

"Seriously? That feels a little like an extended vacation. I'm feeling a little jealous~" Silvia pouted as she crossed her arms.

"Ahaha, trust me. My trip is no vacation." Laeticia laughed slightly. "If you the two of you don't mind, then I must be leaving. The sooner I make my journey, the sooner I can be back after all."

With that, the blonde with amethyst eyes left, leaving the two siblings by themselves.

"Say Silvia,"

"Hmm? What is it Brother?"

The blonde girl looked towards her elder sibling, who currently looked like he was thinking of something rather deeply.

"Just now... didn't Laeticia seem a little off to you?"

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" His sister asked, a curious look on her face. "Laeticia is the same as always isn't she?"

"Perhaps you're right." The elder male shrugged. "Come, we should get to classes soon."

"Ah, wait up!"

* * *

It was strange.

One day, for some reason, she found herself standing in the middle of a bedroom staring at herself in the mirror. Outside the bedroom window was a city. But unlike the cities that she knew, the buildings she saw were of a different shape, and some of them even reached far into the sky. The people down below she saw from her room were so many that they nearly filled the streets in its entirety.

"I am... a Ruler-Class Servant."

She spoke those words to herself as she realized her situation.

The Holy Grail War.

A conflict created by Magi in order to attain the legendary artifact known as the Holy Grail which had the ability to grant wishes. However, in order for it to appear in the first place, the Magi created a system that allowed them to summon the spirits of legendary heroes long dead back into the realm of the living in temporary containers. The heroic spirits that were contained in this temporary containers were called Servants, and the ones who held authority over them were known simply as Masters.

There were seven classes that a Servant can be categorized into. They were the following...

Saber, Servant of the Sword...

Archer, Servant of the Bow...

Lancer, Servant of the Spear...

Rider, Servant of the Mount...

Caster, Servant of Magic...

Assassin, Servant of the Shadows...

Berserker, Servant of Madness...

The Holy Grail itself can only be utilized by a Master, but at the same time it could only be held by a Servant. And thus, along with the knowledge that the grail itself can only grant the wish of single pair and would only appear when six servants have been vanquished, the Holy Grail War became a reality with seven servants and masters battling each other until only one of each remained.

However, there was also a unique class among the seven that were summoned. This class was known as the Ruler class, whose role was to ensure that the Holy Grail War was fought justly. Unlike the earlier seven, the requirements in order to be summoned as a Ruler would be that the Heroic Spirit in question doesn't have a wish they want granted in the first place, and must act as a neutral party during the conflict.

They were also granted special Command Spells that had authority over servants and can make them obey her will if the need arise, one of the reasons why the class was called Ruler to begin with. And they can only be summoned during special circumstances in which there was a chance of the Grail War growing out of control.

This much, she knew from the knowledge that the grail itself provided for her. Thus, she knew that there was something going on that caused her to be summoned in the first place. However, there was only one thing that concerning her at the moment.

"Why is it... that I have possessed a body?"

She asked herself that question time and again. As a Servant, she should have had the ability to go into spirit form, but for some reason, she couldn't. Not only that, but because she possessed a human body, she had the needs of one as well. Eating and sleeping... these were factors she would need to attend to unless her body functions start to fail on her. Despite this, she still retained all her capabilities as a servant.

The name of the girl whose body she was currently possessing was Laeticia, a student studying in France. She bore a resemblance to her, in both physical and spiritual aspects, as well as having a strong belief in God and his teachings. This was the reason why Ruler was able to possess the girl as easily as she did, though it was more akin to her asking and the girl agreeing, with Laeticia's body changing slightly in order to properly accommodate her soul.

However, when she did, she became the dominant host with Laeticia taking a back seat deep within reaches of her mind. Her essence becoming something akin to a conscience that people would speak about that's telling them what's right and wrong most of the time.

Information from the Grail informed her that despite possessing the body, any harm done to it would heal just as easily if she had a spiritual body. And should Ruler perish during the Grail War, Laeticia's body would be revived upon her death and if need be, transported back to her home in France for safety issues.

That alone caused Ruler to sigh somewhat in relief since it basically told her not to worry about the girl.

The grail also informed her in a way that she was to summon a servant of her own, telling her it was necessary, even providing her with knowledge on how to do so. She would only need to draw a summoning circle and the grail would do the rest for her. After that, she would only need to say a few words of her choice in order to beckon forth the Servant coming from the Throne of Heroes.

Ruler couldn't but wonder why she needed to do so. When she used her abilities, she sensed that there was indeed something wrong. Normally, only seven servants would be summoned. But for some reason, she could sense more than the expected number.

At the very least, she could sense at least fourteen Servants.

It was a great abnormality. Just one Servant alone could perhaps take on an army by themselves. But fourteen of them?

Perhaps this was why she had been summoned. However, this was not the only abnormality she detected. Though she could feel the presence of the fourteen Servants through their connection to the grail, there was also something lack in that connection.

Taking a moment to look herself in the mirror once more, she turned around while undoing the blouse that her host had been wearing up until that point, in order to gaze at her back. Revealing a set of red tattoos formed in the shape of four wings.

These were none other than the Command Spells that gave her authority over the Fourteen Servants in the war. The problem was however that despite their presence, she could not feel their connection to the fourteen heroes that were summoned already. Knowing this, perhaps this was why the grail wanted her to summon a Servant of her own. Right now, she was incredibly vulnerable.

"Fourteen Servants... and my authority lost."

After she had summoned her Servant, her first order of business would be to discover why her authority was lost. To that end, she needed to find the grail. She knew that it wouldn't be an easy task, there were too many things that remained unknown to her.

However, on her name as **Jeanne d'Arc** , she would not fail.

* * *

"So... this is the land of the Englishmen?"

Those were the words she first spoke when she arrived in Somerset, England.

Unlike France, England had a different feel to it. Perhaps it was merely due to the fact that it was another country altogether. On the other hand, perhaps it was also due to the fact that she was now in the land of the people whose ancestors burned her at the stake. It was a very strange feeling.

It wasn't as though she held a grudge against those who executed her. Far from it in fact. She merely thought of their actions as the result of them following their own beliefs. And at the very least, she could respect those beliefs even if it resulted in her own end.

She was also quite glad that she was now once again on the ground though her legs felt heavy since she had been sitting the whole time during her flight. She spent the time thinking about the Grail War while at the same time she prayed for a safe journey. Although she understood the concept of airplanes through the information provided for her by the Grail, it was a different from actually riding one. She disliked the feeling somewhat.

Jeanne sulked slightly at the fact that, since her journey would still take her to another country, it meant riding on another plane after her business in England was finished.

Not long after arriving, she made her way towards the town of Glastonbury, the location of which she was instructed by the Grail to go to in order to summon a Servant. Despite having no catalyst, she would just have to have faith in God that her summoning would result in someone she can rely on in the future. It didn't really matter to her if the person was weak or strong even if she preferred the latter due to it being more advantageous.

So long as it was someone she could work with, it would ease her troubles.

She sat by herself, quietly enjoying the scenery that passed by, on the bed of a pickup truck she was hitchhiking on. If she were to compare the vehicle to a horse, then she would assume that the truck was nearing the end of it's usefulness to the owner. Deciding to pass the time by doing Laeticia's homework like she promised, she reached into her bag and pulled out a book.

"For a simple farmhand such as myself to have a chance to be educated... the world has become a wonderful place indeed."

Having been a peasant girl before taking up arms, Jeanne was never really educated aside from the basic things her parents taught her. The Grail provided her with information that would allow her to survive in the modern world, such as reading for one, which was a skill that she lacked in life. It was a skill which she had given up on learning due to her own illiteracy. The best she could manage was writing her name down.

Moving on, it did not grant her the knowledge of what the book in her hands was about. She only knew as much as Laeticia herself. With that, Jeanne aspired to do her best for the sake of the girl whose life was being inconvenienced due to her presence.

"The Once and Future King by T.H. White..."

It was a book about King Arthur... probably the most well known hero to be associated with the title of King. One of Laeticia's assignments was to do an essay about the characters in the story and what her idea of them was, and apparently she was quite invested in it given that Jeanne had memories of the girl and her like for Knightly figures in general.

Thinking about if more clearly... with the location of which where she would be summoning a servant was Glastonbury, the place of which where King Arthur's "grave" was located... there was a very high chance that the grail wanted her to summon the legendary King of Knights as a Servant. And with the location where he would be summoned being the very country where his legend originated, he would receive a significant boost in power.

Then again, she could end up summoning any member of the Round Table. And some of them were legends in their own right. Either way, being summoned in their homeland would guarantee any British Hero receiving a boost in power. And that would work well in her favor.

She decided to ignore the subject for now as she began reading. Just like how knowledge from Laeticia was shared to Jeanne, any knowledge she learned herself would do the same for Laeticia. And while both had differing views, Jeanne still had a general idea of what she would think due to sharing the same body at the moment. All she would need to do would be to write those thoughts down.

* * *

From afar, two individuals watched as Ruler rode towards her destination.

"Geez... so that's Ruler eh? She looks like a delicate young thing doesn't she? Kinda hard to believe it that she's the mediator for this War, right pal?" One of them stated. He wore a dirty green cloak with a hood over his head. Underneath, he wore green armor.

"..."

His partner on the other hand wore black armor instead, and remained in silence after his companion spoke.

"Man... why did I have to get paired up with you of all people? Assassin or Lancer would have been better partners to have" He complained. "But then again I guess the Lady Queen is too busy with making sure that Castle of hers is perfect, and the boss probably wants to save Lancer for later."

"..."

"Gah, now I feel like I'm just talking to myself." The former stated as he gave up making conversation with his partner. "I just hope night comes quick before I start going crazy on myself."

Unknown to him, if there was one thing his partner was thinking about other than performing his task at hand, it was the fact that the man in green was very noisy.

* * *

When she finally arrived at the small town, she took in the sight of the rural location.

She preferred places like this compared to the big city. It reminded her somewhat of the place where she lived as a peasant girl. She then ate a small meal at a local restaurant before anything else as she was starting to feel hungry. Afterwards though...

"Now then... where should I be going?"

Although the Grail told her to come here, it didn't say where she would be summoning a servant. That was completely up to her. And she also needed to do it quick. Night time was nearing, and often bad things would happen during the night if one wasn't careful.

"..."

"Huh...?"

She felt something nudging itself upon her legs. When she looked down to see what it was, she saw a small four legged creature that somewhat resembled a cross between a dog, a rabbit, and a squirrel. It had white blue fur with purple tinted ears, and said fur was quite fluffy in appearance too. It even had a ribbon and small blue capelet tied around its neck. Jeanne couldn't help but admit that she found the creature before her to be quite adorable.

"Ah, hello there little one."

She crouched down in order to pet it. There wasn't any harm in petting it right? She couldn't feel any hostile intent coming from it at all.

Before she could however, it quickly moved away from her. When she saw it looking at her, it moved further once more. Jeanne realized that the small creature was motioning for her to follow it.

Although she had no real reason to, she did so anyway. She kept moving and moving, unaware of her surroundings or rather choosing to ignore all of it. She didn't know why she was following it, but something inside her told her to.

When she finally came to a stop, she noticed that in front of her was an old church. On the steps to its entrance was the small creature, ever licking itself every now and then.

She looked inside saw that it looked rather decrepit, telling her that it was abandoned.

This was the perfect place for her to do her summoning! She looked back at the small creature, who tilted its head to the side once it noticed her gaze upon it.

"You led me here?" She asked as she crouched down to its level once more. "Thank you."

However, when her hand made contact on its head...

"AH!" Jeanne yelped in pain as she retracted her hand and looked at it. There were no injuries, but she could feel a burning sensation go through her entire being the moment she made contact.

When she tried looking at the small creature once more, it had already disappeared from sight.

Whatever it was, it was most definitely not normal. Although, she was still convinced that it meant her no harm despite the strange action that had just occurred.

* * *

"Such a strange feeling this is..."

Jeanne sat inside the church watching the magic circle glow with power in the center of the room. Since she wasn't a magus, she couldn't really tell if it was working. She perfectly followed every single instruction the grail gave her when she was first summoned, but she still wasn't quite sure. All she did know was that mana began accumulating, so it had to working one way or another right?

Currently, she was also wearing her battle dress. It was dark purple outfit with a long skirt that was slit high enough to reveal her right leg, the ensemble was covered in several pieces of armor. On her head dangle a metal headpiece of intricate design. Wearing it made her feel somewhat more secure.

"I know why, but to be in this world yet again... could it be God's hand guiding events to make such a feat possible?" She mumbled to herself as she widened her eyes in realization. "Ah, that reminds me...!"

She hadn't been able to do so since she left France and arrived here, her thoughts about the Grail War distracting her to such a point. It was better late than never after all, the one she did on the plane ride was more for herself and the other passengers safety rather than anything else.

With that, Jeanne knelt on the altar and began praying.

She didn't really mind the conditions of where she prayed. So long as she did, that was what mattered. To her, praying was as important as breathing. Not a single day passed where she didn't pray.

When asked why she always did so by her comrades of old, she would respond that there was no particular reason. It was merely her offering a prayer to the lord. She also believed that so long as she kept praying, perhaps the sorrow and lament of God for the sake of his children would lessen if only a little.

"...!?"

Jeanne quickly stood up, every fiber of her being on alert as she sensed a hostile presence.

And it wasn't just any hostile presence... it was that of a Servant's!

 _'There are two of them... and they're coming here!'_ She thought as she ran outside the church. The fact that there were two hostile servants in the area and heading directly for the area could not be a coincidence.

However...

"Why...? There should only be fourteen... so why am I sensing two more?"

As Ruler, she should be able to feel the presence of all Servants summoned during the Grail War. While the Command Spells on her body lacked a connection towards the Servants in question, she could still feel them existing. Though she couldn't pinpoint their exact location if they were not in a 10-km radius.

 ***WHOOSH***

"...!"

 ***SLASH***

She quickly drew her sword and struck down several arrows directed at her skull. Eyeing the way they came, she spotted someone, a man from what she could make out, a good distance away wielding what looked liked to be a cross bow.

He was an Archer-Class Servant without a doubt to be able to shoot someone from afar.

"Who are you...!? Why do you choose to attack me!?" She demanded as she knew for a fact he could hear her.

* * *

On the other hand... Archer had different thoughts.

"Damn, so she noticed me."

He clicked his tongue as he began reloading his crossbow. Right now, he should've been invisible to Ruler as he had his cloak on. Perhaps it was one of her class abilities that allowed her to see him. Knowing that, Archer should've expected it.

Not like it would help her or anything...

"Well, I guess it's your time to shine partner."

* * *

"...!?"

 ***SMASH***

Jeanne quickly jumped as she avoided being slammed with what looked like a tree trunk. When she saw who was holding it, there stood a rather tall person wearing what looked liked black armor from head-to-toe. However, the view was obscured by a black aura.

The growling he made as he looked in her direction confirmed that he was a Berserker-Class Servant. And thanks to one of her special skills as a Ruler-Class Servant, she was able to identify the servant in front of her.

"You are... Sir Lancelot of the Round Table!"

Lancelot du Lac... otherwise known as the Knight of the Lake and perhaps the greatest Knight among King Arthur's court. He was also more infamously known for having an affair with King Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere, and later ended up rescuing her during her execution which resulted in the deaths of several of his former comrades.

It was agreed upon by many that it was because of his and the Queen's actions which fractured the unity shared between the Knights of the Round, and also gave Sir Mordred the opportunity to rebel against his father, resulting in both of their deaths during the Battle of Camlann. However, that was another matter entirely.

And while she could identify his name, she could not get a good read on his stats due to something interfering with her senses. Most likely it was due to one of his personal abilities that was the cause.

Still, to be facing one of the greatest knights known to exist as a Berserker... she could not afford to take him as a light threat!

Summoning her banner in her remaining hand, she readied herself as the Black Knight let out a mighty roar and charged.

Berserker quickly swung the tree trunk as Jeanne parried the incoming blow. A quick exchange of blows soon followed, and sparks flew during the process.

Despite being a Berserker, Sir Lancelot was able to use a level of technique and skill that Jeanne could not just believe it. For every swing of her blade she threw, he would counter each quite easily with his makeshift weapon. It was like he wasn't even a Berserker.

"Hah...!" She jumped and swung her flag down hard, hoping to disorient him with force.

Berserker quickly blocked the attack.

 ***CRACK***

The Black Knight's makeshift weapon began to break apart, apparently having reached its end as a weapon for use. Seeing this, he looked around and quickly made his way towards the Church entrance, grabbing a pillar that stood outside it and yanking it into the air.

It was then quickly covered in the same aura as Berserker, and Jeanne quickly realized that perhaps it was his ability to make use of anything as a weapon.

 ***WHOOSH***

"...!"

Smashing apart several more arrows heading straight for her with her flag, Jeanne glared as she saw Archer standing not too far from her and Berserker, having apparently closed the distance as she and the Black Knight fought.

 ***SMASH***

The ground erupted as Berserker swung down the stone pillar just as she jumped to the side, but not before getting hit with debris. He then quickly closed the distance between the two of them, swinging the pillar around like it was mere longsword. Jeanne could only respond by parrying any strike she could.

"Don't forget that I'm here too little missy...!"

Archer shot another round of arrows, and very soon, together with Berserker's assault, she found herself overwhelmed.

Dodging arrows and all the while trying to avoid being hit by the Black Knight. Although she had back-up from the grail itself, that did not meant that she was a great warrior. Her role in life being a Standard-Bearer who lead and inspired armies to victory.

Had it been a one-on-one situation, perhaps she would have an even chance. But right now though...

 ***BAM***

"Gah...!"

Before she knew it, Jeanne found herself being slammed into the church by Berserker, the wall behind her collapsing as she was sent flying through. She stood up, her body somewhat wobbly due to the experience, and glared at both Archer and Berserker as they came into view.

"Why do you both attack me...!? Do you not know who I am!?"

"Sorry, but even if you are Ruler, we have our orders. We're just here to follow them." The green Archer spoke. When she got a good look at him, Jeanne was quickly able to identify the man before her.

Robin Hood. Or rather, one of many who assumed the identity of the heroic outlaw of legend. This particular person before her was the child of a Druid, but that wan't important right now. She quickly refocused her attention towards the current situation at hand.

"So you do know who I am... and you say you were ordered?" The blonde spoke. "Just who are you two...!? There should only be fourteen servants that have been summoned!"

"Yeah, about that." Archer replied as he pointed his crossbow at her once more. "I can't say too much unless I accidentally give away anything else after all."

It was at that point however that the man in green noticed the summoning circle behind Jeanne glowing rather brightly.

...!

"Ah!"

At the same time, Jeanne felt a slight burning sensation fall upon the center of her chest.

She could feel it, three additional Command Spells had just been granted to her!

Taking note of this, she jumped back and stood within the middle of the circle, with her hand stretched out as she spoke.

 _ **"By my name of Ruler, no, Jeanne d'Arc. I ask of thee, heed my summons and come forth! Lend me thy aid in restoring order to the chaos that has been wrought upon the Holy Grail War! Be my blade that vanquishes all evil, that protects all that is just!"**_

A brilliant flash of light filled the church, nearly blinding those within it.

"Shit, this is what you were doing here...!?"

Gritting his teeth, Archer loaded his crossbow and fired while Berserker charged. However, just as both did so...

 ***SLASH***

"...!"

A strong gust of wind appeared from the light, the force of which pushed back Berserker and quickly dispatched Archer's arrows. It also left a sizable distance between them and Ruler, and at that point a figure stepped out of the magic circle.

Standing there looking proud and dignified was a young man dressed in full white armor and blue clothing underneath. He had blonde hair and emerald green eyes. With his appearance alone, one could easily identify him as a Knight.

"A two-on-one engagement... have neither of you have any semblance of pride; Archer? Berserker?"

He spoke for the first time, his voice calm and stern. The latter two were both taken aback by him. Clearly, they did not expect to see another Servant here, and especially one that would be summoned by another to be precise.

Jeanne on the other hand was momentarily taken back as she realized her success. Just by glancing at him, she could feel an incredible amount of power.

She then somewhat froze up when the Knight before her turned his head around and looked at her while smiling.

"Before we introduce ourselves to each other, shall we take care of these two first?"

Jeanne nodded in reply, and both quickly turned their attention towards their opponents. Archer cautiously took a step back, while both noticed that Berserker on the other hand froze the moment he laid his eyes on the White Knight. Seeing this, Jeanne spoke.

"Be careful, he's-!"

"AAARGH...!"

Whatever Jeanne had to say, it had to wait as Berserker charged.

* * *

 ***SLASH***

"Damn it, that guy didn't tell us about anything like this...!"

Archer cursed as he avoided being stabbed by both of Jeanne's weapons. She was incredibly fast, and for someone like Archer who was more suited to long-range combat, fighting her in close range was quite the task.

Berserker was preoccupied with the new Servant that appeared, dashing towards him like a raging bull. The White Knight was able to keep up with the former, and was putting on a good show. What was strange though was that he was fighting with what looked like an invisible weapon seeing as he couldn't see anything at all.

Though from the way he fought, Archer could guess that the one who was summoned was a Saber-Class Servant.

 ***CLANG***

"...!"

He drew a dagger from behind him and quickly blocked an incoming blow from Jeanne's sword. However, not long after that did the latter try to attack him with her flag, causing the man in green to quickly move to the side.

"I ask you again Archer, just who are the two of you?" She demanded once more as she pointed her sword at him. "

"Tch! Try again little missy!"

 ***WHOOSH***

 ***SLASH***

Archer shot a volley of arrows towards Jeanne only for the latter to quickly strike them all down. She glared at him as she saw him smirking at her.

"You really don't expect me to tell you anything do you? I don't think you're that stupid."

It was at that moment that Archer could feel something resonating in him.

"Boss...?"

* * *

Strong.

That was the only word the White Knight came up with to describe the Black Knight that was Berserker.

For every opening he saw and tried to attack, Berserker would quickly put up a defense. The power of his strikes were also befitting his class name.

There wasn't even any wasted movement either. They were precise and to the point. It was clear that despite his madness, Berserker was still a top-class warrior.

 ***CLANG***

Swinging his weapon down, the White Knight parried another blow from Berserker's makeshift weapon. Both then jumped back as they stared each other down.

"You are no ordinary Servant, Berserker. Whoever you were in life, you must have been someone of renown. It's only a shame that you are reduced to this... a mere madman."

He looked up when he heard Berserker mutter something rather lowly. When Saber tried to listen in more closely however...

"AAAAAARGH...!"

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG***

Letting out a mighty roar, Berserker suddenly closed the distance between him and his opponent and began a furious assault. The blonde-haired young man responded quickly by parrying any blows he could and dodged the rest.

Whatever set off the Black Knight, it was something that definitely increased his ferocity.

"Hey! Big guy!"

Suddenly, Archer appeared out of nowhere and landed beside Berserker.

"Things have changed, the boss wants us back quick!"

Berserker ignored him in favor of chasing after his opponent, trading blows with the other Knight.

"Hey! Are you even listening-!?"

"There you are!" Jeanne appeared and stood in front of Archer, blocking his path.

However, that everything suddenly came to a halt when Berserker stopped moving, dropping his makeshift weapon onto the ground in the process causing all to look at him in surprise.

Taking advantage of his opponent's distraction, Archer used a flash bang grenade, an item provided for him by his benefactor, and went up towards the Black Knight after using the item to temporarily blind both Jeanne and her Servant. He merely sighed as he looked over his partner.

"Looks like the boss had his Master use a Command Spell..." He muttered to himself. "C'mon big guy, you know what to do."

Growling ever so slightly, Berserker could only follow Archer as they headed into the woods.

"Wait a moment...!" Jeanne gave chase, and the other blonde motioned to do the same.

 ***WHOOSH***

A strong gust of wind came from the two Servants' direction, causing both Jeanne and the White Knight to shield themselves. When they looked up however, both widened their eyes in shock as they saw something rising from behind the forest trees.

"Is that... a fighter jet!?"

Jeanne knew of such things from the knowledge provided for her by the Grail, but to actually see one, and one that had another Servant standing upon it no less, was something else entirely. Even the Servant she summoned was momentarily taken back by it as well.

Whatever ability Berserker used on his previous two weapons, it was obvious he was using the same thing on the aerial vehicle he was riding atop on as it was covered in the same black aura he was.

The cockpit opened, and inside they could see Archer seating in it all the while smirking at them.

"Sorry to cut this short, but we're needed elsewhere!" He said. "Let's continue this match some other time shall we?"

With that, he closed the hatch and the fighter jet flew off. Leaving the other two by themselves.

A moment of silence reigned over them before the White Knight suddenly spoke.

"Well... that was unexpected."

"Indeed..." Jeanne replied as she sheathed her blade and allowed her flag to disappear.

"...!" Jeanne held her side as a slightly painful sensation erupted from her side. She didn't notice it before, but apparently Archer was able to get a good shot at her without her even noticing it.

"Are you alright?" The White Knight spoke, giving her a concerned look.

"I am alright, it's only a light wound." Jeanne replied, the wound itself already began healing, rather quickly she noted even for someone of her capabilities.

"Ah, that is good to hear." He said in a friendly manner, as he also then let whatever he was holding in his right hand to disappear. "Now then, I believe we made an oath to introduce ourselves now?"

Jeanne nodded, having only just remembered their earlier deal.

"I am Servant Saber. I have come to aid you in response to your request." The blonde-haired young man said as he smiled at her. "Although I feel like I already know the answer, are you my Master?"

"Indeed, I am your Master, Saber." Jeanne replied as she placed a hand over her chest. "I am Servant Ruler. And I thank you for the assist earlier."

"No need for thanks." Saber stated. "As a Servant, it is my duty to protect my Master from whatever danger he or she faces. And I could not allow such an unfair engagement to take place... not when my sense of honor prevents me from doing so."

"I see. In any event, thank you." She smiled at him. Jeanne felt that she could work well with the person before her.

The man who was known as the _King of Knights_. Within a few moments of concentrating, Jeanne identified him on the spot. She could also guess that the invisible weapon he used earlier was perhaps either one of his holy swords. With such fame, having the ability to turn them invisible would prove most valuable to anyone trying to hide Saber's identity.

To be able to summon a legend such as himself... perhaps it was a blessing from God?

Still... she somewhat expected him to look somewhat older. She didn't expect King Arthur to look like someone around her age.

"Now then... perhaps you could explain to me just what exactly is going on?" Saber spoke up, snapping Jeanne away from her thoughts. "I find it somewhat peculiar that I would have another Servant as my Master."

"Ah, this may take a while..."

* * *

"Hmph... so those two failed? Did I not say that it would have been more appropriate to send Lancer along?"

Sitting inside a room filled with fine decor and the like was a woman with long black hair that reached the floor and matching black eyes. An unusual feature to note was that she had long elf-like ears. She also wore a matching black dress that did nothing to hid her impressive cleavage. All in all, one could say that she was a beautiful woman, but at the same time with a sense of danger.

Her companion inside the room however was a young man. He had white hair and golden eyes, his skin was tan in appearance. He wore what looked to be priest garments along with a red cape over his shoulders.

"Although I wanted to, I also wished to test how powerful both Archer and Berserker were went up against Ruler." He replied to the woman seated in front of him.

"Hmm... did they live up to your expectations?" She asked.

"Somewhat. Though I find Archer to be somewhat lacking, Berserker on the other hand is quite useful for a so called madman." He said, though his companion was not entirely convinced. "Fear not Queen of Assyria, there will still be plenty of opportunity's to get rid of Ruler. For now, we wait."

The woman in black merely smiled in response to the man's words.

"I suppose so."

* * *

"I see. So there's something going on with the Holy Grail War that caused you to be summoned? And your task is to find what it exactly is and to bring order?"

"Yes, that is indeed most of it."

Saber and Jeanne sat inside the remains of the old church, the latter having told the former everything she knew.

"I think I can understand it now." He spoke while eyeing Jeanne's body. "Still, to possess a human body instead of having a spiritual one like most Servants do..."

"I know... because of it, I am far more limited than what I'd usually be able to do." Jeanne replied. "Though I can still fight as easily as any regular Servant."

With that, a moment of silence reigned over the two as Jeanne suddenly began fidgeting.

"So Saber..."

"What is it...?"

"Are you alright with this?" She suddenly asked. "As my Servant, you may not be able to get the chance to fight for the Holy Grail like other Servants do. A Ruler must not participate during the Grail War other than to assure that it would be conducted properly."

Saber merely smiled in response to her words.

"That is not something you need to ask, Master." He spoke. "If your words are indeed true, and that there's a chance that the Grail War could rise into a great conflict that could involve many innocents... I would put aside any desire I have in order to prevent from becoming so."

He then looked up to her, a gentle look on his face as he did so.

"And I have already made an oath. As your Servant, I shall aid you in any endeavor you choose to follow through with. I swear this on my name as a Knight."

Jeanne felt a heavy load remove itself from her shoulders as she directed a grateful smile towards Saber.

"Thank you, Saber." She extended her right hand towards him. "As token of my appreciation, allow me to tell you my true name."

"Really? Even though revealing it may cause problems in the future?" Saber asked, surprised by her statement.

"As Ruler, I already know who you are due to my abilities. It's only fair that I tell you of my real identity as well." The White Knight was once more taken aback. He didn't think that Ruler would have such an ability, but perhaps it was something to be expected of her class.

"My name is Jeanne d'Arc. I look forward to working with you, Saber."

Saber gave a surprised look for a moment, before smiling in response and taking her hand in his.

"And the same to you. I am Arthur Pendragon. It's a privilege to meet you, Saint of Orleans."

That night, a new Master & Servant team had been formed.

* * *

"Ahaha... Ahahahahahaha!"

Inside a dark cavern filled to the brim with skeletal remains of humans, a young girl happily twirled about as she laughed in pure happiness. She had short blonde hair and wore a light blue dress. She was also dancing about barefoot.

"Ah, Saber~" She spoke, her voice tinted with ecstasy. "Saber! Saber! Saber~!"

With a closer look, the girl had blood on her clothes and what looked like a large gash upon her chest and on her back. It looked like something had stabbed her.

On her chest however was what looked like a Command Spell in the shape of seraphim wings.

"I had faith that you would come back one day!" She said. "Although it took you a really long time, you've come back at last~!"

She stopped twirling about as a smile appeared on her face, directing her gaze above.

"I love you~" The girl began slowly. "My prince... the one who belongs only to me~!"

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 ** _Author's Note: (Updated: 2/5/2016)_**

My second story~!

Now then, this fic was an idea that was swimming inside my head the moment I watched the Fate/Prototype OVA and read the Fate/Apocrypha novels when both were first released. It took reading **iDEAL bLACK** by **_AvengerEmiya_** , **Clarent Blood Arthur** by **_King of Beasts_** , and **Golden Prayers** by **_Teerexil_** , to finally convince myself to start writing it down. There might be some elements from taken from them as well, sometimes without myself noticing it, so don't be surprised by it too much.

However, when I think about it more clearly now, my writing this is more due to me being really annoyed by the fact that there's a lack of good Jeanne and Arthur fanfics on this site. So, in order to compensate, I decided to make one of my own that features both at the same time. Also, all information I know in regards to Nasuverse comes from reading the visual novels, light novels, side material, videogames, manga, and other related stuff. So I consider myself well read on the franchise aside from the few mistakes I'm bound to make every once in a while.

As stated above, both the King of Knights and the Maiden of Orleans are going to be the MCs of this fic. While this is going to be my first time writing said characters and nasuverse in general, I'll try to keep them all as close to home as possible while taking my own liberties with their respective characters. If I'm unable to do that, oh well. I tried at least XP I'm also the type to rewrite/add some parts to the story if I feel unsatisfied with them. Changes are mostly confined to better grammar, scene description, and dialogue in certain chapters.

That's it for now. Please leave a review that's in **_English_ ** because that's my preferred language. I ain't going to the trouble of finding the translation of something I can't understand unless I have a good reason to do it.


	2. Act I-2: Gathering in Trifas

**_AN: I own nothing! This chapter is mostly a non-action centered. There are probably some mistakes here and there, but I'll fix them when I see them since I'm the type who rereads a chapter to look for mistakes or is unsatisfied with a part and then rewrite it._** ** _Please leave a review :D_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 2:_**

 ** _Gathering in Trifas_**

* * *

"..."

Driving a black car down a mountain road was a man with a rough appearance. He had wild barbarian like brown hair and a goatee. He wore sunglasses over his face, of which also partially covered the view of the scar that were on it. He wore an open black leather jacket with an orange shirt underneath. He wore black pants, and also wore black leather boots that matched his jacket.

His name was Kairi Shishigou, a freelance bounty hunting necromancer that worked with the Mage's Association from time to time. Currently, he was making his towards a location in Sighisoara, Transylvania where he would be meeting a few associates.

Overall he looked like a thug, a fact that annoyed him to no end when police would suddenly question him for no reason other than looking suspicious. He had to use magic each time just to get away since he didn't had time to deal with the cops.

"..."

On the right passenger seat of his car sat a young woman with green eyes and messy shoulder length blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She wore an open red jacket over a white tube-top. For her leggings, she wore daisy-duke shorts and a pair of black boots that had a skull symbol on their back.

She also had a very annoyed expression on her face that she was directing towards the man.

"..."

"What is it Saber," Kairi spoke. "I can feel you staring. If you have something to say, then say it."

"Why is it that I have to wear this ridiculous outfit!?" Saber demanded in a calm but irritated tone. "Why couldn't I pick out the clothes I wanted to wear!?"

"Stop complaining, those were the cheapest things I could find." The man retorted in a dry tone. "Money doesn't exactly grow on trees."

Saber merely huffed in response as she crossed her arms. She thought to herself that a Knight like her should at least wear something a little more dignified than wearing something that exposes her navel. Then again, the clothes she wore underneath her armor weren't actually all that different to her modern day attire. Perhaps she just felt like wearing something that was of her own choosing rather than what someone picked out for her, which resulted in her annoyed mood.

But if she were to be honest with herself, she didn't mind it all that much. So long as she could always plant her feet firmly on the ground, which she obviously couldn't do in spirit form, she was alright with even having to walk around naked if she had to.

Kairi on the other hand still couldn't believe it. The identity of the Servant that he had summoned...

 **Mordred**... Known by many as the Knight of Treachery. The bastard son of King Arthur and his half-sister Morgan. He who brought an end to the reign of the legendary King of Knights. His name became synonymous with betrayal as a whole.

When he first summoned her, it wasn't actually done on purpose. The relic he had used during the summoning was a splinter of the Round Table itself. That alone assured him that he would receive any one of its members as his Servant.

After she found out about this though, she quickly destroyed the piece of wood with everything she had, filled with such rage towards it that the act alone clued him in as to the identity of his Servant. There was only one person among the Knights who could react in such a way after all.

Still, he was somewhat off put by the fact that he was actually a _she_. And said she looked like a young teenage girl in casual clothes. But he wasn't an idiot. Whether she was a man or a woman made little difference in light of the fact that she was still a Heroic Spirit. That, and treating her like a woman pissed her greatly. So the mercenary decided to avoid veering into that topic in such a way that it wouldn't insult his Servant.

Personality wise though, she was the type of person he could get along with just fine even if she did have a temper.

"So remind me again..." Saber suddenly began, snapping Kairi out from his thoughts. "We're meeting with the other Masters from this Mage's Association, correct?"

"Right. We've been asked to team-up with each other." Kairi replied as he began explaining. "The reason behind that is because the Grail being used in this Grail War is highly suspected to be the original. Or at the very least, a very faithful replica of it unlike the other fake ones that popped up the last half-century. And if you know what magi are like, they'll jump at the first chance to obtain the so-called omnipotent wish granting device."

"From the way you speak Master, you don't seem entirely convinced of it."

"Oh no, that was just sarcasm." Kairi replied in a nonchalant manner. "I'm mostly here for the money I'm going to be paid for joining the team. But, if this thing really can grant wishes, then I have something I want granted."

"And that would be...?"

"That's a little too personal don't you think? Ask me another time." The man replied once more. "Look, we're here."

The car came to a stop at a church on top of a hill, and Saber could feel multiple presences inside said building. She then saw a long-haired man stepping out of it, looking at them as they both got out of the car.

"Ah, Shishigou, you've arrived."

"El-Melloi II, so you really were chosen as a Master." Kairi spoke as he shook hands with the younger man.

"Indeed. To be chosen a second time... I don't know whether to be honored or to be terrified to be honest." Waver nodded before turning his attention towards the young woman accompanying Kairi. One look at her and he could already tell...

She was a Servant.

"I take it that this is Saber?"

"Right on the mark." The sunglasses wearing man said as he looked at the blonde and gestured to Waver. "Saber, this is El-Melloi II. He's the Master of Rider, and one of the guys who I signed my contract with in the first place. He and I worked together a few times now."

"I see." Saber nodded in response and in acknowledgement of Waver's presence. From the little time she had spent with her master, she could at least tell that he was of respectable character despite his looks, choice of profession, and his magecraft as well.

From the way he referred to the man known as El-Melloi II, his voice was filled with respect. Meaning that the long-haired man was also one of good character. Or at least, someone they could trust for now.

"Now then, shall we meet with the others?"

* * *

Before heading into the building, Kairi told Saber to go into spirit form and be ready for anything. The blonde nodded and did as she was told though she disliked being in said form. Satisfied that she listened to him, the sunglasses wearing mercenary entered the building.

"Geez, now I get why you and Rocco wanted me along for the ride..."

Once inside the church, a table was set up in the middle of the room where masses were usually held. At the said table were a couple of teenagers if Kairi was able to guess their age right thanks to their youthful faces.

"I know. They may be young, but they're at least competent. Allow me to introduce you..."

The first was the youngest of the bunch, looking to be around 14-15 years old. She had blonde hair and green eyes, and wore a blue cap over her head that a silver ornament that resembled a rose attached to it. She wore a blue dress that matched her cap, which had silver crosses on the puffy sleeves, and wore a white blouse that resembled what nobility from Europe would wear. She a light blue ribbon tied around her neck, and wore black leggings and brown boots. Currently, she was drinking tea.

"This is Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, the current head of the Archibald family."

The blonde girl eyed the Kairi while continuing to drink her tea, and the latter could only describe her stare as something akin to that of a snake looking at its prey.

"Hmph. So this is the bounty hunter you told me about?" She spoke up as a small smirk developed on her face. "From his looks alone, he might very well be able to make the members of Yggdmillennia surrender in fear."

"Hey..." Kairi muttered in annoyance.

"Alright, that's enough of that. Reines please, do not antagonize our allies." The girl merely turned her attention elsewhere. "Moving on..."

Waver then gestured to the person seated the closest to Reines, looking to be about the same age as her but perhaps a little older. It was a young woman, she had grey hair tied into a bun and green eyes. Kairi noted with awe that she bore a striking resemblance to Saber. She wore a black jacket and a white skirt. She wore what appeared to be a black cape that had fur trimming on it.

"This is my apprentice. Her name is Gray." He said then looked towards the girl. "Gray, introduce yourself."

"Pleased to meet you." She spoke quietly and sat back down as quickly as she introduced herself. She gave off the impression that she was a quiet person at heart.

Saber on the other hand had a different impression of her.

 _'What is with that girl...? Why is it that we bear such a strong resemblance...?'_ She thought as she focused her attention on the girl. Waver once more moved on to the next subject of interest.

This person was the one that caught Kairi's attention the most. He had white hair and tan skin, his eyes were golden in color. He wore black clothes resembling that of a priests, also wore a red cape over it. He had a smile on his face as he directed his attention towards both him and Waver, it was a gaze that caused the former to stand on attention as he raised his guard even more.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kairi Shishigou. I am Shirou Kotomine, and I am a representative of the Church." He said. "I welcome you to our alliance."

"A representative from the Church? That's the first I'm hearing about this." Kairi muttered as he and Waver sat down. The way the boy from the church spoke... it just made him want to turn and walk away. There was something about him...

"The Church wants one of their own to keep on us Magi while we work. Make sure that we don't end up summoning any demon gods as they say." The long-haired man stated, the last bit somewhat sarcastically. "Speaking of which Kotomine, where are Bersinsky and Rum? I heard that they were the ones to fetch you."

"Yes, about that." Shirou began. "Unfortunately, they both decided to withdraw from the Holy Grail War."

All those present widened their eyes at that sudden piece of news.

"What!? Just when did this happen!?" Waver demanded.

"A little over a few days ago when they dropped by in Fuyuki City to pick me up." Shirou began explaining. "Accordingly, they both have family issues they need to attend to, and thus they handed over their Command Spells and Servants to me."

Seeing that they weren't entirely convinced, Shirou pulled out a folded piece of paper from one of his pockets and laid it out on the table.

Seeing this, Waver took the contract and read it over as Shirou began speaking once more.

"Well brother? What does it say?" Reines stated.

"It's the real thing, I recognize the handwriting as both theirs." Waver replied as he directed his attention towards the priest in front of him. "Though whether or not this letter was written by choice is a different matter altogether."

"I assure you this is all legitimate." Shirou said in his defense. "Though whether or not you believe me is up to you. You could always go back for a brief time and ask them for the truth. But will that be alright I wonder? Will you abandon your comrades during an event such as the Holy Grail War? Are you not the leader appointed by the Association with the task of reclaiming the Grail?"

Seeing he had a point, Waver dropped the subject for now, but not before sending one last look at the boy known as Shirou Kotomine.

"Oh? Well ain't that something little man? You've got yourself three servants to control now." Kairi commented as the boy merely shrugged his shoulders. "I have to ask though, how you're supporting three Servants and not look a little exhausted at least?"

"That's because both Caster and Berserker still have a direct spiritual link to their original Masters. I merely control them, but when it comes to supplying both with prana, Mr. Bersinsky and Rum are doing that for me. I suppose you could say that they're still providing us aid despite their withdrawal." Shirou replied with a smile.

"I see." Waver nodded in understanding, though still wary of the young man before him. "Right then. Before anything else, why don't we have our Servants materialize first?"

"Hmm? What would be the point of that?" Reines asked.

"Well for one, it allows our Servants to interact with the discussion. Second, it would be a show of trust." Waver explained. "Rider, come out."

"About time! I was starting to wonder how long you planned on having me stay that way boy!"

Suddenly, a rather large muscular man appeared standing right behind Waver. He had short but messy red hair which also formed his beard. He wore an armor reminiscent of ones worn during the time of Ancient Greece. He had a red cape with fur trimming over his ensemble.

"Greetings to you all! It's a fortuitous event that allowed all of us to gather here today as allies. I am Iskander, the King of Conquerors!" He announced. "I will make this quick. The Servants who are still in astral form, which one of you will join my army after our alliance is over?"

A moment of silence echoed throughout the room as all were stunned by the sudden proclamation. Waver on the other hand was merely sighing to himself, muttering that he should have expected such a thing. Even if they were allies at the moment due to bizarre circumstances, to so brazenly declare one's identity like that, and then to ask the remaining Servants to join him so suddenly...

"Ha... Hahaha!"

A laugh cut through the silence as gold mist appeared behind Reines. There, another Servant materialized. This time, it was a young man, someone who looked to be in his early twenties or so. He had blonde hair and red eyes, his hair was swept back aside from the single strand that dangled in front of his face. He wore golden armor that covered his shoulders, waist and legs, along with a red waist-cloth. Two swords were also attached onto his back.

"Amusing Rider!" He spoke while containing a laugh. "Our identities are of the highest level of secret that we can have, and yet you shouted yours to the heavens! And to declare yourself a King at that... Truly you are a jester!"

"Hmm? And you are? I am a King just so you know. The King of Conquerors, Iskander." Rider responded as the man continued to laugh.

"Hahaha, you fool!" The man in gold suddenly exclaimed as he smirked and crossed his arms. "There can only be one true King that reigns under the heavens, and that is I. The mere fact that you cannot even recognize who I am at first glance proves the level of ignorance that you share with the rest of those in this room."

"Oh? So you are also a King then?" Rider said as he placed a hand underneath his chin. "Why don't you indulge us with your name then? No true King would be ashamed to reveal his own name."

"Hmph. I do not plan on wasting my breath teaching those who cannot recognize me, the one true King of this world, my own name." He replied before eyeing Rider specifically. "However, since you amused me, I will tell you my class as a boon. So be grateful at the very least."

The Golden Servant spoke in such a condescending tone that not even Saber, who herself was a prideful and arrogant person, a fact that she admitted to, couldn't believe it. However, despite her distaste for him, she remained silent as the Golden Servant continued to speak.

"I am Archer. And make no mistake... once our enemies have been taken cared of, the normal battle of seven shall resume. And I will personally show you that there can only be one King in this world, King of Conquerors, and that King is none other than myself."

"Is that so? Then I'll have to look forward to it Archer!" Rider declared with a smile. He wouldn't back down from Archer's threat.

Reines merely muttered something under her breath as she directed an annoyed glare at her Servant. He really had to make enemies with one of their allies so quickly.

"Now then, come out!" Archer suddenly declared. "I think it's about time we all met face-to-face as fellow Heroes of eras now long past."

At that, three other servants appeared in the room. One of them was Saber herself. She wore heavy looking armor with red clothing underneath that covered her from head-to-toe, making it near impossible to tell if she was actually a man or a woman.

"Servant Saber. Nothing more." Saber spoke, not feeling in the mood to speak any more than what she said.

The next figure that appeared stood behind Gray. He, in contrast to Saber, wore rather ornate light armor with Greek designs with black clothing beneath it. He had green hair swept back and yellow eyes. He also had an orange sash tied around from his waist to his shoulder, the cloth flowing freely over the latter.

"Yo, call me Lancer. Let's get along shall we folks?" He said, a smile on his face that spoke of his friendliness. Whether or not it was an act remained to be seen, but for now, it did ease the somewhat tense atmosphere.

Lastly, there was a woman with long black hair and eyes, the most unusual feature about her was her elf-like ears. She a rather ornately designed black dress that did nothing to hide her impressive cleavage. Rather, it was like it was intentionally designed that way.

Kairi nearly jumped out of his seat when the latter of the trio appeared as she was sitting right next to him. Seeing his reaction, the woman could only laugh in response.

"Foul hag, are trying to mock my Master!?" Saber demanded as she pointed her blade at her.

"Oh no, Saber. Just think of it as a light joke." She giggled in response.

"Assassin, enough of that. Come over here." Shirou spoke up.

"Yes, yes, anything you say Master."

Her voice was akin to what one would expect from a woman of high status. Kairi noted that with her appearance, she may as well have been royalty. Her class would still be appropriate for her since she looked like the type who could order the deaths of many with but a movement of her wrist and none would know about it.

Saber watched her with a glare as the black-haired woman made her way to her Master. Her aura and appearance, as well as her manner of speech. it reminded her all too well of her own mother.

After Assassin stood next to her Master, Waver noticed something off.

"Kotomine, where are Caster and Berserker?" He asked.

"They're around, just somewhere farther than here." Shirou replied. "Berserker is a somewhat troublesome Servant, you should know this. Allowing him inside a room full of other Servants is just begging for trouble. So I have Caster watching over him for the time being while we discuss and plan."

"Ah, that makes sense." Waver nodded, accepting the information. It was at that moment that Saber noticed Archer had been staring at her for some time now.

"Hoh? So you are Saber?" Archer raised an eyebrow as he smirked. "Well then? As you can see, you're the only one wearing a mask. Will continue to hid your face like a coward, or will you show it to us instead?"

If Saber was affected in anyway by such comments, she didn't show it. Instead, the helmet she wore slowly began disassembling itself from her head and laid itself as pieces of her armor. Those who witnessed it couldn't help but be impressed by the function.

And to say that everyone was taken back by her appearance was an understatement. They suspected she was a woman from the moment she spoke, though it was somewhat hard to tell due to the helmet muffling what she truly sounded like, but they didn't expect it to be true and for to have been one that looked so young and beautiful. The only thing off putting about her was the mean look in her eyes, but even then that didn't change the fact that she was quite attractive.

They also noted with great surprise that Saber bore a striking resemblance to Gray, who herself was just as much as taken back as everyone else.

"Hmm... so the one summoned as the strongest Servant class is a little girl? Truly, this world holds many forms of amusement." Archer commented.

 ***SLASH***

Everyone quickly jumped out of the way as Saber swung her sword down upon Archer who merely responded by blocking her blow with his two blades, the impact of which blew away the table and chairs set up. Saber was glaring murderously at the Servant in gold.

"Call me a little girl again... **and I will cut off your head!** " She growled. Killing intent oozed from every single one of her words, and everyone but the Servants in the room were taken aback it. She held so much blood lust that it felt more appropriate to call her Berserker!

On the other hand...

"Hmph. To so brazenly attack me..." Archer muttered in response as he smirked at the other blonde, pushing her back with brute force as they stood apart from each other. "So be it. If you wish for a battle to the death Saber, I shall grant you that honor."

"Then bring it! I shall take pleasure in taking your head Archer!"

Both took on a stance, ready for battle as they stared each other down. It was at that moment that both of their Masters decided to intervene.

"Archer, enough!" Reines yelled as she stepped in front of her Servant. "Do not attack her!"

"You too Saber, stand down!" Kairi demanded as well. "You two can kick each other's ass all you want later, but only after we've dealt with our enemies alright!?"

As this went on, the others in the room could only watch on.

Lancer had an amused smile on his face and was tempted to join in, but decided against it for now. Assassin also had a similar expression on her face, as did Shirou. They both noted that such a thing was to be expected when heroes from different eras were to meet with each other.

"This is getting out of hand." Waver sighed. He knew that being the leader of a group such as this wasn't going to be easy.

"Hahaha! Such strong willed people we've gathered here today! I'm liking them already!" Rider noted with a smile.

* * *

It took a miracle, but both Masters managed to calm down their individual Servants. Fixing up the tables and chairs, the Masters sat together once more as Waver began speaking.

"Now then, I would like to get down to business." He began. "Kotomine, I assume you already know this as well?"

"Indeed." Shirou said as he looked at the other Masters, laying out a map on the table that showed the entirety of Trifas, to which he pointed to a particular spot. "We've confirmed that the Greater Grail is indeed located underneath the Yggdmillennia Clan's castle. Just like we thought, they're the ones behind this Grail War, and most likely the past Grail Wars as well."

"So the real question right now is if the thing below that fancy place is the real deal or if it's just another replica." Kairi spoke up.

"The Association has already considered such a possibility." Waver replied. "Either way, even if it is a fake, it's the closest one to the original in terms of specs. Data and knowledge left from the last grail war spoke of the possibility of being able to summon more than seven servants depending on the location where the Grail is situated in. Then there's the fact that the Command Spells we have are a set of three. During the fake grail wars, it was mostly limited to either one or two."

"And fake or not, leaving it in the territory of the Yggdmillennia Clan, who themselves have been causing trouble over the years for both the Association and the Church only spells bad news." Shirou added. "There's also one more detail..."

"Hmm? And what's that?"

"The Ruler-Class Servant." He said, catching the attention of the Servants in the room.

"Ruler-Class Servant...?" Saber muttered the words in confusion. From what knowledge the Grail provided for her, none of it mentioned such class before. She looked about and saw that the others were also as confused as her.

She also noted that Assassin was the only one who wasn't. Whether or not that meant anything, it was too soon to tell.

"Allow me to explain." The young man began. "Ruler is a Servant that is summoned by the Holy Grail itself. According to what I know, they're only summoned when Grail feels that the situation of the Holy Grail War will go out of hand due to various circumstances. Said circumstances also depend. Say, fourteen Servants have been summoned. With such an event, the Grail will most likely summon a Ruler to handle the situation."

"Is this so-called Ruler going to be a problem for us?" Lancer questioned, the class title alone was giving him bad vibes.

"I don't think so." Waver responded to the Servant of the Spear. "The Ruler-Class are required to be neutral during the Holy Grail War and must only act when circumstances demand it."

"Cannot act... I'm a little confused here, wouldn't that mean they can't fight for the Holy Grail like the rest of us?" Rider asked "What happens to their wish being granted?"

"They have none." Shirou stated much to the surprise of the Servants. "The main requirement to be summoned as a Ruler is for the Heroic Spirit being summoned has no wish they want granted in the first place."

The Servants present were taken somewhat by surprise by this, but not too much as they easily understood such a requirement. After all, one cannot be a mediator in the Holy Grail War if they desired the Grail for themselves.

"Tell me something, just what makes the Ruler class so special?" Archer suddenly asked.

"Hmm? Is something the matter Archer?" Reines inquired. "You sound somewhat tense."

"Hmph. I simply refuse to acknowledge this so called Ruler class. Being a Ruler is a privileged, not something one is given so casually or summoned into." Archer merely replied as he returned his attention towards Waver. "So tell me mage. What makes the Ruler class so special?"

"Seeing as how you want to know, I might as well say it." Waver paused for a moment before continuing. "The Ruler-class has access to special Command Spells that allow them to command any Servant that has been summoned during the Grail War. That is why they are called Ruler."

"...!" The Servant's all looked at Waver in shock and surprise.

"I see..." Archer muttered, his arms crossed and an angry frown grew on his face. "Hmph. Such insolence... if Ruler should even dare try to use one against me, there will be blood to pay."

"Mad that someone else is higher than you in rank Golden King?" Lancer quipped while smirking at the golden Archer.

"Do you wish to die a painful death Lancer?"

"Well I've already died once. Dying twice makes no difference to me." The green-haired man stated nonchalantly. It was obvious that Lancer was intentionally trying to annoy Archer with his words.

"Alright that's enough." Waver raised his voice. "As much as I want to let you two settle your differences, we have other priorities to deal with."

"Boy, do you have any idea what kind of Servants these Yggdmillennia people have?" Rider suddenly asked. "Knowing what kind of people are enemies are going to be like would prove useful for us in the future."

"Now that you mention it, we do have such information." Shirou spoke up as Assassin handed out several dossiers to each Master. "Within the shortest amount of time, I was able to gather enough intelligence about our enemies to know what we're up against."

"Well that's convenient." Kairi commented.

"I consider myself lucky. I was mostly only able to do it due having many contacts as a member of the Church." Shirou replied nonchalantly. "Also, for simplicity's sake, we've named the Masters and Servants of Yggdmillennia as the Black Faction and ourselves the Red Faction."

"So that would make me Rider of Red?" Iskander smirked. "I like it! It adds a certain flair to the name."

"Of course you would." Waver sighed.

"Anyway, here's what we've been able to gather. It's mostly information regarding their parameters though, as well as a description of what they would look like." Shirou said as the others began reviewing the information.

"What, no pictures?" The necromancer quipped.

"Forgive me if I couldn't make a composite sketch for each." Shirou replied without missing a beat. "To be blunt, none of the people who were assigned to this duty were what one would call artists."

Several minutes passed as they began reading through the dossiers. Just like what Shirou said, it was mostly centered around each Servants stats. The truly impressive ones were none other Saber, Archer and Lancer. However that was too be expected considering that each belonged the Knight Class.

"Now then, I think it's about time we discuss about the Servant who massacred the fifty magi sent by the association." The young man began. "Since unlike the others, we already have an idea of what he can do."

"Indeed." Reines nodded in agreement. "What was the method used to kill them? It could perhaps lead us to discovering the identity of the Servant in the first place."

"Stakes." Waver answered as the others looked at him. "From what the survivor of that massacre told us just before he died, he said that he and his colleagues were taken by surprise by stakes suddenly rising up from the ground beneath them. Most died during that assault, and the others that didn't were picked off one after another by a Servant who appeared before them."

"Stakes..." Kairi began thinking aloud. "Hmm... the first guy that comes to mind when I hear the word stake is-"

"Vlad III, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler." Shirou finished for him. "Most likely, that is the identity of the Servant behind the massacre. We are in Romania after all, so it would make sense that a Hero such as him would be summoned where he would receive a boost in power. And considering his background, I would have to say that he must be Lancer-class."

"He was a ruler himself right? This could prove interesting." Rider smirked.

"What about the other Servants?" Waver asked. "Do we have any leads on their identities? As well as their Noble Phantasms and other abilities?"

"Unfortunately, no. Though I suppose it's natural considering we haven't even fought them yet. But as far as I can tell, the Saber that they summoned is quite powerful. Whoever he is, he must've been someone of renown to bolster such high stats." Shirou replied as he gestured to the paper containing Saber of Black's parameters.

Hearing this, Saber could not help but think of someone in her past matching such a description.

Someone who had refused to acknowledge her until the very end... it resulted in the two of them dueling to their deaths. It was very much possible that he was summoned as well in this war. Someone of his reputation, it was only natural to expect that someone would try to summon him as a Servant...

 _'Could it be... father?'_

"There's also one more piece of troubling information." Shirou began.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"It concerns Ruler..."

* * *

"Hmm..."

Standing atop a balcony was a man with pale skin and platinum blonde hair and a beard. He looked to be someone in his late thirties to early forties, but that depended on where one lived to be able to make such a guess. He wore black clothing reminiscent of what a nobleman would wear, but at the same time, it had a rugged appearance that told those who would see him that he was not one to be trifled with.

He was none other than the Lancer-class Servant of the Yggdmillennia Faction, otherwise known as Lancer of Black. He was summoned by none other than the clan head, Darnic Prestone. The latter of which was sitting inside the room where the balcony was situated outside of.

"So is this information accurate?" He spoke as he read over a list Darnic had given him earlier.

"Yes. I can confirm that without a doubt that the Mage's Association have summoned all seven of their Servants." Darnic replied. "However, apparently, two of the Master's who were going to participate have suddenly retreated back to their respective domains and left their Servants to their allies."

"Hmm? Why is that?"

"I don't know, but it does mean that we now only have to worry about five Masters instead of seven."

"I suppose so." Lancer nodded in agreement. Still, he found it strange that two masters would suddenly withdraw from a competition like the Holy Grail War. He could understand that perhaps it was due to fear, but Magi were usually the types to risk it all for the sake of their goals.

"And it also seems they've started calling us, the Master's of Yggdmillennia, the Black Faction and themselves the Red Faction." Darnic revealed, and Lancer nodded at that, saying that it seemed appropriate. "My Lord, there is also something that you need to know."

"How many times must I say it Darnic? Enough with the formalities." Lancer sighed as he massaged his temple. "Right now, I am not Vlad Tepes, but Lancer of Black. A Servant fighting in the Holy Grail War."

"My apologies, it's force of habit." Darnic replied as he was reminded of what he was going to say.

"At any rate, I think it's worth mentioning that Ruler will be arriving in Trifas soon." He began. "Our familiars have spotted her arriving at the Airport in Bucharest."

"Hmm... So Ruler is a woman? And she's arriving now of all times?" Lancer crossed his arms as he began thinking. "I initially thought that she would've been summoned somewhere near Trifas. Why is it that she arrived by plane?"

"Perhaps she was summoned in a location safe from harm. With fourteen Servants about, it would only be natural that the Grail would choose somewhere safe to summon its own personal mediator for the War. That's the only logical conclusion I can think of."

"True." Lancer nodded, accepting the theory. "Do you have any idea where she came from? Perhaps it would allow us to discern her identity for now."

"Nothing concrete, but we do know is that the plane she arrived on departed from England."

"England? Isn't that the location of the Association you've spoken to me about?"

"To be precise, it's located in London." Darnic replied. "And apparently, Ruler isn't alone."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"It is as I stated. She has a companion with her, and it's no magus. That much I can assure you." The blue-haired man said as Lancer widened his eyes in realization.

"Wait, you don't mean to say-!"

"Yes, she summoned a Servant of her own."

* * *

"Ah, it feels quite good to be standing on solid ground after such a long flight."

Walking through an airport terminal was a young man and woman, both of whom had blonde hair.

The first of the duo had emerald green eyes. He wore a red shirt and black pants with matching black shoes. He also wore a dark brown longcoat as part of his ensemble. His female companion on the other hand had amethyst eyes. She wore what looked like a school uniform along with carrying a backpack on her back.

They were none other than Saber and Ruler, both having just arrived in Romania.

"You seem quite relieved Master." Saber began. "Could it be that perhaps you disliked flying on an airplane?"

"No, no, it's not that." Jeanne replied. "I just like the feeling of the ground beneath me is all. Surely the same must also go for you Saber?"

"I'll admit, flying isn't exactly something I did while I was King." Saber replied as he gazed outside to look at the planes lined up along the side as passengers boarded and got off respectively. Mankind truly had advanced much within the span of 1500 years after his time.

"Still though, I did find it quite enjoyable as brief as it was." He smiled at her. "I also found your apparent fear of flying to be somewhat amusing Master."

"I-I already said I wasn't afraid...!"

"I never said you were afraid before now." Saber chuckled as Jeanne froze and pouted slightly in response.

Despite his background, she quickly found out in the short time that they were together that Saber was the type who liked to tease people when he saw an opportunity. However, it was all in good nature, and he never went farther than the occasional joke.

She also found out that he couldn't go into Spirit Form. Most likely it was due to a fault in that happened during the summoning process. She couldn't help but sulk somewhat that she failed in performing a perfect summoning, but she supposed it couldn't be helped since she wasn't an actual mage. This also led to Jeanne using Laeticia's money once more to buy him his own set of clothing so he could walk about with attracting attention.

It was at that moment that she was reminded of something she had been meaning to discuss with Saber.

"That reminds me Saber. From now on whenever it's just the two of us, please refer to me as Jeanne."

Saber blinked at the sudden request. "Is that wise? Your name alone is enough to alert our enemies to your identity and thus your weaknesses. And we never know when or where they are watching us."

"I know that. However, I feel flustered having someone of your status calling me Master. It just feels... somewhat inappropriate." She revealed, directing an embarrassed smile towards Saber. "Also, my identity will most likely become well known in the near future thanks to my status as Ruler, and I've already invoked my true name in front of Archer and Berserker. So I feel like there's no actual need to hide it anymore."

"Then why not just Laeticia? That is the name of your host after all." The other blond suggested.

"I've already involved her too much just by possessing her." Jeanne replied, a frown on her face as her mind began worrying. "It would be too selfish of me to do such a thing. And it would also start to feel like I'm trying to take away her identity as well."

"I see." Saber nodded with an understanding smile. "If that is your wish, then so shall it be. Milady Jeanne."

"M-Milady...?"

"Hmm? I was trying to be courteous. Is something the matter?"

"Ah...! N-Nothing is wrong. It's just... Oh dear, perhaps I was mistaken?" Jeanne muttered to herself. Milady was something she was used to being called by some of her old comrades as well as those who looked up to her during her life. But for some reason, it sounded much more embarrassing when called as such by Saber.

Laeticia was most likely influencing her. The girl was actually bad at handling men, and was mostly able to do so only when in the presence of friend or if it was for business like matters. Personal or otherwise, she would try to hide behind a wall first.

Saber on the other hand merely looked clueless as his Master debated on her situation.

* * *

The Red Master's looked at Shirou, momentarily shocked by the news he had just revealed to them.

"How is it that she was able to summon a Servant!?" Reines demanded, being the first to snap out of it.

"It's not that surprising when you think about it." Shirou began. "After all, she does have Command Spells of her own. That makes her an eligible enough Master in a sense. And with the fourteen Servants about, she must've begun fearing for her own life enough that she sought aid of her own."

"But it still doesn't make any sense...!" The blonde girl began only to be cut off by none other than her Servant.

"Hmph, like any of that matters." Archer spoke. "Whether she brings forth one, a dozen, or an entire army of Servants makes no difference to me. I shall take on all forms of challenge as the King of this world."

"Hoh? Then I'll be looking forward to watching you get yourself killed Archer. That will be a riot~" Lancer laughed as the Archer glared at him annoyed.

"Lancer, please stop it." Gray spoke for the first time since her introduction, her voice as quiet as ever. "Archer, I apologize for his words. Please do not fight with one another in this place."

Seeing this, Archer merely turned around with crossed arms. Lancer himself decided to comply and stopped laughing.

"If I were you girl, then I would get your Servant on a leash. After all, a dog's barking makes for tedious listening." Archer muttered.

"Anyway!" Waver spoke up, turning all attention towards him. "Why is it that you said that Ruler began fearing for her life? What happened?"

"According to reports, she was attacked by two Servants while in England." Shirou replied. "Perhaps the Yggdmillennia clan wanted to take her out of the picture before she could arrive and sent two of their own there? Honestly though, I don't really know. I'm just guessing at this point. It could also be possible that those two Servants who attacked Ruler are surviving strays from one of the past Grail Wars as well."

That immediately caught everyone's attention. If such a thing did occur, then this Grail War really did just get more complicated.

"Any ideas on Ruler's identity at least?" The necromancer asked. "And the identity of the Servant she summoned? As well as the ones who attacked them both?"

Shirou merely smiled in response to Kairi's question, and that alone sent shivers down the older man's spine. There was something about the white-haired priest that rubbed him the wrong way.

"I can answer the first question rather easily. During the attack and as she summoned her Servant, Ruler declared her name." Shirou began. "Her identity is none other than Jeanne d'Arc, the Heroine of France and Saint of Orleans."

The other Masters reacted in slight awe at this. To think that a famous Saint such as herself had been brought forth as a Servant!

"However, the identity of the Servant she summoned on the other hand remains a mystery, as well as the two they fought off. The familiars who observed them couldn't afford to linger any longer less they were detected and left by the time the other two Servants did." The young man said. "What we do know is that Ruler's Servant is a blonde male of about average height, or perhaps taller. He wears white armor, and his weapon is the biggest mystery of all."

"Hmm? What about it?" The necromancer once again asked.

"It was invisible." Shirou revealed as Saber widened her eyes. "For some reason, the weapon itself seemed like it was invisible, and it also felt like it granted him the ability to control wind to a degree."

All the while he continued speaking, Saber's mind closed out everything that didn't relate to whatever was going on inside her head.

 _'A blonde haired male... and a weapon that's invisible while bringing about wind... could it be?'_

She didn't know how to react. There was a high chance it was him, especially since the priest stated that Ruler's Servant was summoned in Britain.

If it was him... if it really was him...! The person who rejected her to the very end!

Saber released a breath she did not know she was holding, all the while clenching both of her fists rather tightly.

 _'Father...!'_

* * *

"You know, you're not much of a Berserker aren't you...?"

"Hmm? Did you say something Master?"

Standing outside in the garden space of the Yggdmillennia castle was none other than Caules and a young girl looking to be about his age.

She had pink hair long enough to reach her back, and it was done in a two-side up style. She wore a black dress with detached sleeves and white boots. The most unusual features about the girl was the fact she draconic like horns, fingernails, and a tail growing from out of places on her body.

She was none other than Berserker of Black, and the Servant of Caules. Currently, she was twirling about in the gardens while singing.

"I'm just mumbling to myself." Caules said. "I still can't believe that you've retained your sanity despite your class."

"Being crazy is boring, I'd rather be myself more than anything else." The girl quickly responded as she continued with her motions.

Caules sighed as he watched Berserker do her thing. If he had to be blunt, then he would have to say that she was quite terrible at singing. Rather, he admits that she had a lovely enough voice. The main problem was the fact that she had no artistic sense whatsoever. Her singing was off beat and off key.

He didn't think that **Elizabeth Bathory** would act so much like a spoiled modern day teenage girl. Considering her background though, his surprise was somewhat mitigated as a result though he still found it a bit surrealistic. Then again, he was a magus. Expecting surrealistic bullshit was part of the job description. Something like this, he could get by it easily.

"Caules! What is your Servant doing!?"

He stood at attention as he saw two people walking over towards him. One of them was a rather plump man and the other was a tall man covered in black clothing and grey armor. He had platinum blonde hair, and a strange light was being emitted from the center of his chest. On his back was also a rather large sword.

The former's name was Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, a relative of Caules though not in blood sense. The man beside him was his Servant, Saber of Black.

"W-What is it Uncle?"

"Would you tell your Servant to quiet down!? Her singing is quite irritating!" He demanded.

"Huh?! You have a problem with me you pruny old man?!" Berserker quickly took offense to that and ran up to look at Gordes right in the face.

"Pruny old man!? I happen to be 36 years old!" Gordes retorted before realizing something. "Wait, that's not the issue here. You're a Servant, not a singer. Act like it."

"What's wrong with me singing? It would do well for a place like this to liven up a bit, don't you agree Saber?"

Saber remained silent throughout this exchange. It was to be expected. From the moment he was summoned, Gordes ordered Saber to remain silent until he gave his permission to speak. Saber didn't seem to have a problem with this as he followed through with it.

However, Saber did smile as Berserker questioned him, nodding slightly.

"See? Even Saber agrees!" She smiled triumphant.

"Saber, you...!" Gordes gave an annoyed look towards his Servant. Though he was loyal, he was still somewhat snippy at times such as this. Saber on the other hand merely remained silent as always per his orders.

"Now, now, how about we all get along~?"

Suddenly out of nowhere a person with a rather cute appearance appeared before them. That person had long pink hair tied into a single braid, with eyes matching the color of the hair. Said person also wore black clothing and white armor, and a matching cape with fur like trimmings on the collar to go with the armor.

Said person also happened to be male despite his feminine appearance and choice of clothing. He was none other than Rider of Black.

Even now, Caules still couldn't believe Rider to be male. It completely contradicted the statements that **Astolfo** , Rider's true identity, was one the most handsome members of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins. Then again, sense of beauty tends to differ depending on the era and people. And it was also natural for legends and stories to become distorted over time.

"I quite agree with Rider."

Caules quickly looked to see his sister being wheeled in by a tall man with long green hair wearing a white outfit reminiscent of clothes worn during Ancient Greece. What was most strange about him just like with Berserker but different was the fact that he had what looked like a horses tail sticking out from his rear.

He was Archer of Black, and his identity was none other than **Chiron** , a centaur who was famous for personally training Greek Heroes such as Heracles and Achilles. His current form was the result of Archer deeming it necessary to appear like this as his centaur form would most likely give away his identity at first glance. That said, the tail still felt like something of a giveaway to Caules.

"Hey, is something the matter sis?"

"Grandfather has a request for Gordes." Fiore replied, catching the older man's attention. "It seems he wants you and Saber to go out on a patrol tonight."

"Whatever for?"

"He says that Ruler is expected to arrive at the city by then." She revealed, and that caught the attention of everyone. "He wants you and Saber to keep an eye on her for the time being. And Saber's skills should prove enough of a match for anything that comes his way should something happen."

"Hmm... it seems like a job better suited for Archer don't you think? His class along with Assassin or perhaps Caster are better suited for such a task." Gordes questioned.

"Yes, but grandfather wants Archer on standby and act as a guard for the castle. With his eyes, he can spot anyone coming at us from a good distance away. And Caster is too busy with Roche in ensuring that our defenses will be ready for anything, and both Assassin and their Master have yet to arrive." Fiore replied.

"True." Gordes nodded. "Very well then, I shall take my leave. Saber, come. Help me prepare."

Saber nodded dutifully. With that, the man left the gardens along with his Servant. As Caules watched them go, he still couldn't help but wonder who Saber was. From what he was able to read off his stats, he was quite strong.

"Now then~" Everyone turned to Rider as he suddenly began speaking. "What should we be doing next~? There's still plenty of time before sunset, so there has to be something right~?"

Suddenly, an idea grew in his mind.

"Oh~!" He then suddenly grabbed Berserker by the hands. "Berserker, why don't we have a singing contest~? You and I can have everyone else here as an audience~! We could even invite the ones Master calls homunculi, it will be a wonderful experience don't you think~?"

"Hah! Why not? It's not like I will lose or anything." Berserker arrogantly smirked as Caules sighed.

"Then it's settled~!" Rider declared as he turned to Archer. "Come Archer, perhaps you can join in as well~!"

"Ah, I shall have to pass." Archer smiled in apology. "But I am interested in listening. How about it Master? Shall we partake in such activities for now?"

"Hmm..." Fiore began thinking before smiling. "I suppose there isn't any harm."

With that, the entire group left, leaving Caules behind in the garden to sigh once more.

"Such a lively bunch they are. It's like we're not even at war at all..."

* * *

"So this is it..."

Standing just on the outskirts of Trifas were Ruler and Saber. They made their way here by hitchhiking due to Ruler's wish to not spend any more of Laeticia's money on themselves. And both weren't also willing to steal a vehicle either.

The two may have been Heroic Spirits bound into Servant form, but that didn't mean they just go ahead and break the law.

"Trifas... the city where the Holy Grail War shall be taking place."

The first order of business for the night was to find somewhere to stay at. It was getting late, and Laeticia's body was starting to feel the effects of having traveled all day long. Though she could perhaps stave off the effects for a time given her abilities, it wouldn't last long. She would still need to carry on her life as a human despite her existence as a Servant.

"Master, do you feel that?" Saber suddenly inquired.

"Yes, I sense two Servants up ahead." She replied, and with that, Jeanne and Saber materialized their weapons and armor on themselves. The former dropped Laeticia's bag somewhere safe. It was better to leave it here rather than let it get caught in the crossfire. She would have to pick it up later though.

"What do you think? I do not believe it to be a coincidence that there's are two Servants in the direction we are going."

"Indeed, and they're not even fighting." Jeanne nodded. "I'm also getting the same feeling I did when Archer and Berserker attacked me."

Saber immediately understood this. That meant whoever was waiting for them, it was another pair of Servants that were outside of the Fourteen that were summoned to participate in the War in Trifas. That brought the count up of rogue Servants to four then...

"But this isn't what's troubling you?" Saber inquired as he noticed the disturbed look on Jeanne's face.

"I don't know, but..." She paused for a moment. "But whoever is waiting for us... one of them is dangerous beyond compare."

The Knight could only remain silent at this. If his Master believed that one of the Servants they were about to encounter was truly dangerous, then he would have to take her word for it. There was only one thing they could do in regards to this situation.

"Let us proceed with caution then."

* * *

After advancing several kilometers, they found their targets.

One of them was a young man, covered in golden armor with a red gem in the middle of his bare chest. Both his skin and hair were white as snow, his blue eyes being akin to steel. The most unusual feature about him were the cape made out of flames that was floating behind him. He didn't seem the least bothered by it.

The other was a rather attractive young woman with golden hair, her bangs fringed with green. She wore a verdant green outfit, complimented by a pair black gauntlets that were reminiscent of claws and thigh-length black boots. What was most unusual about her were the lion like ears and tail that were protruding out of her body. In her hands was a bow of intricate design.

"Servant Ruler, I take it?"

Both sat on a motorway sign before dropping down onto the ground, never taking their eyes away from the duo, specifically Jeanne herself. The male was able to identify her from one glance alone.

"So it is true... you've managed to summon a Servant of your own." The female commented as she eyed Saber.

"And what of it, Servant Lancer? Servant Archer? Or perhaps... Karna and Atalanta would be better names?" Jeanne questioned.

 **Karna**... Known as the invincible hero of the Mahābhārata, an ancient Indian epic. Born as the son of the Sun God Surya and a human woman called Kunti, he was bestowed with a set of golden armor as confirmation of his heritage. If one were to describe his prowess as a warrior, he was simply overwhelming.

 **Atalanta**... Known as the Chaste Huntress. Though she was born as the princess of Arcadia, Atalanta was abandoned in the mountains immediately after birth, but she survived thanks to divine protection from Artemis. She later became a fervent follower of Artemis, and during her adulthood slew the Calydonian Boar.

"For you to be able to identify us so quickly. Yes, you are indeed Ruler."

With that, a massive spear appeared in Lancer's hands. Both Saber and Jeanne were now on high alert as every fiber in their bodies told them that the spear was dangerous. It was most likely, no, most definitely a Noble Phantasm.

"Allow me to make this quick then. This is a declaration of war." He pointed the massive spear at both with one hand, causing the two to immediately raise their guard.

"Tell me Lancer, Archer," Saber began. "On whose orders do you act? Or perhaps you act of your own free will? Either way, why is it that you are trying to kill my Master, the mediator of this War?"

"We don't know." Lancer replied much to the other duo's surprise. "We've been ordered to kill her, that is all."

"And you just blindly follow through with such an order!?"

"Indeed. I gave my oath to follow my Master's commands, and so I shall." Lancer replied.

"And the same goes for me." Archer added. "Though I have my doubts, as a Servant, I shall obey my Master's commands."

Saber merely glared at both in response. Though he was angry at their blind loyalty, he also respected them for it.

"Who do you wish to take on Archer?" Lancer asked his companion without turning his attention away from the two. "Ruler's Servant seems like the more dangerous foe, but Ruler herself doesn't seem like she'll be any different."

"Any one of them would do. Our orders are to eliminate Ruler after all, her Servant will most likely try to defend her."

"I see." Lancer nodded as he took a stance. "In that case, shall I decide this battle with a singe strike?"

"I think not!"

 ***CLANG***

With that, a battle between begun just outside the city of Trifas. The first true battle to commence in the Holy Grail War.

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

Well now, I suppose the shit-storm (Excuse the language XD) known as the Holy Grail War has officially begun! As a reminder, I've said before that I'll be following some events of Fate/Apocrypha as they happened in the novel before really divulging the story. That's just how I work.

In case some of you guys didn't know, Reines and Gray are actual characters from Nasuverse. You guys can look up their existence on the wiki for info or try searching the net for more of it the wiki doesn't suit your tastes. And in regards to Mordred, I decided to keep her gender the same due to the fact that making her male takes away the _**"DON'T CALL ME A GIRL!"** _ aspect of hers which I really like and find funny at the same time due to the irony in her statements and her choice of apparel.

As you guys no doubt have noticed by now, there have been a few changes to the Apocrypha Servant Roster, as well as the fact that there's four more Servants that exist outside of the Grail's influence. This is one of the deviations I plan for the story. I also planned on taking out Karna, but that removed the chance of seeing a possible fight between him, Proto-Saber, Proto-Archer, Saber of Black, or Lancer of Red (whose identity I think you guys can guess since the only thing I changed was his class) or all five at the same time XD.

That's it for now. Please leave a review :D


	3. Act I-3: The First Night

**_AN: I own nothing! Just like last time, t_** ** _here are probably some mistakes here and there, as well as parts that may seem dull, but I'll fix them when I see them since I'm the type who rereads a chapter to look for mistakes or is unsatisfied with a part and then rewrite it. Fight Scenes aren't my strong point, so I leave what happens to your imaginations too._** ** _Please read and review :D_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 3:_**

 ** _The First Night_**

* * *

Earlier that day... within the Castle of Yggdmillennia.

"Damn you Rider!" Berserker cried out.

"Ahahaha~!" Rider laughed. "There's no need to be such a sore loser Berserker~!"

Just like Rider had suggested, both he and Berserker had a singing contest between the two. Needless to say, Rider won by a landslide after receiving the votes of Fiore, Archer, and most of their homunculi audience. His opponent was not amused.

As a result of that, Berserker was now chasing Rider about within the castle with the intent to hit him hard.

"You only won because you're cute! Don't let it get to your head...!"

"Really? But I thought it was a fair judgement. Isn't that right everyone~?" Rider asked as they passed the homunculi who watched them. All nodded in agreement to his words much to Berserker's growing annoyance at her fellow pinkette.

"Geez, I feel like I'm watching a comedy show right now."

Caules sighed as he watched the chase unfold. Such carefree people his Servant and Rider were. Because they didn't have any real duties at the moment unlike Saber, Archer, and Caster, they were allowed such freedom.

That said, Rider had gotten his vote. There was no denying he had better singing abilities than Berserker did. Though, he secretly kept it to himself since most likely Berserker would throw a tantrum if he did.

"Now that I think about it, why are you so cute!? You're a man aren't you!?"

"Haha! Cuteness has nothing to do with gender~!"

Truer words had never been spoken before in that castle, something that all those who watched the ongoing chase agreed upon.

* * *

 ***CLANG***

Sparks flew as Saber fought against Lancer, an exchange of blows happened between their respective weapons, it was a clash only few in the world had the ability to keep up with.

"Saber...!" Jeanne called out as she moved to help him.

 ***WHOOSH***

She quickly stepped back in time as an arrow flew past her head. She glared at Archer who merely had a determined look on her face.

"I am you opponent!"

"Why you...!"

The two females began their own clash, and soon, began to draw themselves away from Saber and Lancer's own conflict. Although the former was worried about Jeanne being by herself, he knew she was a capable fighter on her own. And he couldn't allow himself to be distracted at the moment either.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *SLASH***

Parrying every single one of his opponents strikes with his invisible weapon, Lancer then swung his spear in a wide arc, causing Saber to jump back in order to avoid being hit. Lancer quickly moved, stopping just in front of where Saber would have landed and swung his spear once more.

 ***CLANG***

Saber quickly blocked as he was sent flying, hitting his back up against a tree. As he regained his footing, Lancer came up once more and swung his spear again, slicing the tree in half as Saber ducked. He needed to be careful. Somehow, Lancer's spear was imbued with flames each time he swung it.

The White Knight then seized his chance to retaliate, swinging his sword at his opponent. Each blow he made however was once again parried by the the latter, and the ones that actually did connect weren't causing any significant damage towards Lancer himself.

 _'What is this...? My attacks are connecting but they're not working...?'_

 ***BAM***

"Argh!"

A powerful punch was directed at Saber's gut, causing the latter to flinch. Lancer then directed several more punches and kicks, each of which connected, before swinging his massive spear at Saber.

"Tch...!" In spite of his current state, Saber quickly reacted and swung his sword hard.

 ***CLANG***

The moment the two weapons clashed, a small shockwave was emitted that caused pieces of the surrounding area to fly. Lancer backed up after Saber parried his blow, the latter of which only stood his ground as he wiped away some blood that dripped slightly from his mouth.

"Hmm... I see now. You are of the Saber class, there's no doubt about it." Lancer muttered. The way the White Knight moved throughout their exchange, as well as judging from the way their weapons collided, his opponent was indeed a Saber. He could have also been a Rider-Class or perhaps Assassin-Class, but his movements and combat style just led Lancer to Saber instead.

He was also impressed that Saber was able stand up after being punched by him quite hard. Not many were able to do so, especially after a dozen hits.

"And what of it Lancer?" Saber replied. He was taken aback by how tough an opponent Lancer was. It just showed that the Son of the Sun God Surya was not one to be taken lightly. His knowledge of him was little, but it was enough for him to get a grasp of what his opponent could do.

"Nothing. It just means I now have an idea of how you will attack."

 ***CLANG***

Before Saber knew it, Lancer was in front of him and swung down massive spear upon him. He quickly reacted, blocking it with his sword. The force of the impact caused the ground beneath the White Knight to crack.

"Tch...!"

"...!"

 ***SLASH***

Suddenly, Lancer found himself being pushed back and another exchange of blows happened between the two.

Sword met spear as sparks flew from every clash between the two weapons. Lancer noted that for some reason Saber's attacks and speed had increased by a larger margin of what he was able to do before.

Earlier, he was on the defensive. But now though, Saber was somehow making a stand. His blows were heavier, faster, like somehow something was propelling them at incredibly fast rates in short bursts.

It was a technique that Lancer himself was all too familiar with, and at the moment, he couldn't use. Not yet anyway.

Saber on the other couldn't believe how strong his opponent was. He was both incredibly fast and strong, and none of his attacks seemed to be affecting him at all. Not one motion performed by Lancer was wasted, all were made to try and counter him, and it was working rather effectively.

By far, Karna was one of the strongest opponents he had ever faced. No one during his own life even came close.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

Both swung their weapons simultaneously at each other, creating a deadlock between the two as they stared each other down.

"You're quite good, Saber."

"And the same to you, Lancer."

Both had mutual smiles on their faces, a sign of their respect for one another.

 ***WHOOSH***

"...!"

Lancer felt a strong gust of wind release itself from Saber's invisible weapon, and quickly he was blown back by the sudden force. He regained his footing as soon as he landed on the ground, and he looked to see what just happened.

Saber's weapon was no longer invisible. It was shown in its full glory.

To describe it simply, it was a broadsword of ornate design. The blade was covered in a myriad of patterns with a halo-cross just near the hilt. Said hilt and as well as pommel were golden in appearance, strange markings were imprinted upon the former.

The moment he laid eyes on it, Lancer was able to identify the blade despite its origin. Any Heroic Spirit worth their existence would never mistake that weapon for anything else. It was something ingrained into their very being, both for the ones born in the past and those born in the future.

"I can no longer afford to hold back against you Lancer." Saber began. "As a Servant, I have sworn to protect my Master, the very person whom you and Archer are aiming to kill. I shall not stand by idly while you do so... thus, prepare yourself!"

With that, Saber charged. The Holy Sword Excalibur glistening under the moonlight while in his hands.

* * *

"Hah...!"

 ***SLASH***

Not too far from Saber and Lancer's own battle with one another, one more was occurring between Jeanne and Archer.

The blonde haired Saint sliced down every single arrow aimed at her vital spots. Archer was movements could be summed up as moving in circles, but at the rate she was doing it was simply something else entirely.

In line with her legend, Archer was very swift-footed. Even with her abilities, Jeanne couldn't truly compete with her speed and could only rely on her own instincts to guide her through their battle against one another.

And at such a close range, she couldn't afford to be careless. A few of Archer's shots had already grazed parts of her body, though none of said wounds were bleeding that much for some reason. Still, she could only increase her guard in response.

 _'Perhaps I should use my banner...? No, it's still too early use it like that.'_

 ***SLASH***

She cut down several more incoming arrows, and it was at that point in time Archer spoke.

"What's the matter Ruler? Am I moving to fast for you?" She questioned her boastfully all the while maintaining the stoic expression on her face, and the blonde knight couldn't help but feel annoyed at that.

"You may goad me all you want Archer, but I will not fall for it." Jeanne calmly replied as she carefully watched Archer's movements.

It was at that moment, clarity struck her mind.

 _'There...!'_

 ***SLASH***

"...!"

 ***CLANG***

Jeanne's sword made contact with Archer's bow and audible sound occurred as both bounced off each other, the former having taken the latter by surprise by suddenly appearing in her path without any warning.

"Hah...!"

She summoned her standard with her free hand, and aimed it towards Archer, the golden-haired female quickly twisting her body to avoid being stabbed as well as avoiding Jeanne's sword as she swung it.

"...!"

Archer raised her leg and tried kicking Jeanne in the face only for the latter to dodge by mere inches. Seeing this, Archer once more twisted her body, performing a roundhouse kick as the blonde raised her arms to shield herself.

She was forced back a small distance, and by the time Jeanne looked at Archer once more, she was already aiming several arrows at her simultaneously.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH***

Once more, she cut down Archer's assault. Though one got past her and grazed her cheek in the process. Blood now began flowing slightly on the right side of her face, though Jeanne wasn't too bothered by it.

The two stared each other down as they both took a moment to collect themselves from their brief exchange. Archer didn't know how, but from the way Jeanne had moved just now, it was like she was able to predict her actions.

 _'Hmm... perhaps I really should have taken point farther away from here.'_ She noted to herself, an idea that she had already entertained just before she and Lancer had encountered Ruler earlier. However, she was curious to see what kind of person would be summoned as Ruler, and she was also wondering whether or not she really was able to summon a Servant of her own. She could have done that from afar, but she wanted to see them both up close.

Jeanne on the other hand was thinking of new ways to deal with Archer. She was quite fast, and her combat and archery skills surpassed that of Robin Hood.

As was to be expected of the Chaste Huntress. Had it not been for her _Revelation Skill_ , which allowed her to see somewhat into the future in a sense, Jeanne would have had a more difficult time with her.

"Hah...!"

Without any more delay, the two quickly resumed their bout.

* * *

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG***

The sound of two metals colliding with one another echoed throughout the area as Saber and Lancer parried one another's attacks. Each one of their respective blows had a force that was strong enough to cause the Earth beneath them to start breaking apart as they moved.

"...!"

Lancer quickly moved before stopping right in front of Saber.

 ***CLANG***

Their weapons collided, metal skidding across each other.

 ***SLASH***

Saber raised his sword for a diagonal cut. However, Lancer's once again took his blow without any major damage. He quickly followed up with a second attack, only for his opponent to counter at that moment.

 ***CLANG***

Their respective attacks canceled each other out, which then caused to the two fall back momentarily.

 _'Curse it all... this is getting me nowhere.'_ Saber thought. _'Just what is with that armor? Is it truly granting him invincibility just like in his legend? There has to be a limit...'_

The two then quickly charged against one another, trading blows with their weapons once more.

While doing so, Saber pondered on releasing the power of Excalibur against Lancer. Some of the conditions were already met, which meant he could now use a portion of its full abilities. Lancer was someone who was stronger than him, there was no denying that fact, satisfying the first condition. And the fight itself was a one-on-one bout, which satisfied the second condition which dictated that the battle must be honorable.

However, there was one problem to Saber's plan. With such close vicinity of the city, launching such an attack even at a lowered output could result in hundreds of innocent casualties, and he was not about to let his desire to win to overtake his own sense of morality.

"Saber!"

It was at that moment that he noticed Jeanne appearing with Archer on her tail. Both looked appeared to be fine aside from the occasional cut and dirtied up clothes.

"Do not run away!" The latter declared as she took aim with her bow.

"Grr...!"

 ***SLASH***

The young Saint cut down a slew of arrows heading her way. Before he knew it, Lancer turned away his attention from him and directed it towards Jeanne. Seeing this, Saber reacted as quickly as possible.

"Hah...!"

"...!"

 ***CLANG***

Using Mana Burst, he quickly overtook Lancer and swung his sword at him. The latter blocked said incoming strike from Saber and skidded across the ground. With this, Master and Servant stood with their backs to one another.

 _"Are you alright?"_ Jeanne asked telepathically in a concerned tone. It was an ability given to a Master and Servant to as to facilitate better communication between them, and Jeanne and Saber were no different in this regard.

 _"I could ask the same about you, Jeanne."_ The White Knight replied while eyeing the blood on Jeanne's cheek.

 _"Archer isn't making it easy._ _I suppose the same goes for you and Lancer, no?"_ She took a moment to glance at the weapon in Saber's hands.

The Holy Sword Excalibur, one of the finest blades to ever exist. For her to be able to lay eyes on it, there was no greater honor for her as a Heroic Spirit. Saber had also released Invisible Air, the Noble Phantasm which covered his sword in wind that allowed it to remain unseen. For him to do such a thing meant only one thing.

 _"To do battle against one such as Lancer... there are just no words to describe it. Had I not been quick enough, I would have died at least 17 different times."_

If Saber was saying this, it only meant that her prediction about Lancer being dangerous beyond compare was true.

"Alright... I suppose that's enough games." Lancer spoke up as he took a stance. "I'm sorry Saber, as much as I enjoyed our battle with each other, I still must go through with my Master's orders."

Immediately, red flame like energy began surging from the spear in his hands, and both Knights realized that he was going to release his Noble Phantasm! And judging the amount of mana they could sense, it was something that was incredibly powerful.

"Stop it Lancer! Should you release something of that level here, then the people of this city will-!"

"I know. However, I must eliminate Ruler." He replied. There was no hesitation in his voice. He was going to go through of it regardless of what could happen.

"If that's the case...!"

There was only one response to such a situation, and that was to release his own Noble Phantasm. With that, Excalibur began glowing brightly, causing Archer to raise her bow and take aim at Saber.

"I won't let you...!"

Seeing the situation grow out of hand, Jeanne summoned her standard and held it with both hands as it too began glowing.

 ***SLASH***

"...!"

The four warriors all widened their eyes in shock as out of nowhere a fifth Servant appeared wielding a greatsword and struck Lancer hard, the latter of which reacted just in time and parried the blow with his spear. Said Servant was a tall male with long platinum-blonde hair that verged on being light grey. He wore ornate heavy armor over black clothing that for some reason exposed his chest that itself was covered by a glowing green sigil.

They all immediately realized that the one before them was a Servant, and Jeanne was quickly able to identify the man as one of the fourteen summoned to take part in the Holy Grail War of Trifas.

He was a Saber-Class Servant, and his identity was none other than **Siegfried** , the hero of the Nibelungenlied epic. A legendary dragon-slayer famed for his killing of the dragon known as Fafnir. He was a hero who could be compared to King Arthur in terms of fame within Europe and parts of the world.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

Following up his initial attack, the newcomer briefly traded blows with Lancer. One blow from the former was so strong that the moment his blade once more met with the latter's spear that Lancer was sent skidding against the ground, with the demigod never losing his stance despite that.

"I believe that is enough of this farce!"

It was then that a rather portly fellow with blonde hair and wearing a white outfit appeared right beside the new Servant. It was quite obvious to them all that he was the Master of the newcomer given the way he had appeared and presented himself. He also turned his eye towards Jeanne and Saber, specifically the former.

"I take it that you are Servant Ruler? And I also take it that man by your side to be the Servant that you have summoned for yourself?" He questioned, noting to himself that Ruler's Servant was most likely Saber-Class due to his weapon of choice.

There was something strange about said sword though, like it was something he should know about...

"Indeed we are. And you are?"

"An honor to meet you Ruler, I am Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia." He introduced himself before gesturing to the Servant beside him. "This is Saber of Black, my Servant."

Saber of Black nodded silently in acknowledgement of Ruler's presence before turning his attention back towards Lancer and Archer. Both Saber and Jeanne noted that he was someone of great power to be able to wield a sword powerful.

Gordes himself turned his attention towards the said Servants, giving them rather unpleasant looks.

"Vile Servants of Red...! You both would dare to attack the mediator of the Holy Grail War that was appointed by none other than the Grail itself!? Such audacity cannot be allowed to stand! Prepare for the retribution about that shall be wrought upon you by both Ruler and her Servant, as well as Saber himself!"

Both responded by merely raising their weapons as Gordes made his declaration. His words were not only an accusation, but also a proposal of cooperation towards Ruler. In his eyes, Lancer's Noble Phantasm could not be ignored. Working together with Ruler and her Servant was the most logical conclusion he came too at that moment.

Lancer's previous strike was most certainly aimed for the two of them, so it would only be natural that Ruler would accept his proposal...

...Or so he had assumed. The young Saint only narrowed her eyes after he spoke. While there was logic in cooperating with him, there was just too many unknowns at the moment for her to make a decision such as that.

The first was that as far as she knew, both Lancer and Archer were Servants who held no connection to the Grail or to her. While for some reason the Command Spells on her back were inactive at the moment, she still felt a connection to every single one of the Servants summoned through their connection to the grail.

However, those two lacked that same connection. She needed to know why. Were they actually rogue Servants just as she had been suspecting? Or was there more to it? And, working with the Black Faction, as Gordes called his Saber to be a part of, could be seen as breaking her neutral stance despite it being caused by Lancer and Archer.

Thus, there was only one conclusion she could arrive at as the mediator of the war... even if did go against her personal code of ethics, she must remain neutral until the situation became clear to her.

Before she decided to act however, she looked at Saber who noticed her gaze. He understood what she was trying to convey and then spoke telepathically.

 _"Whatever is your will, I shall follow you as your Servant."_

Hearing this, she made her decision.

"I-"

Before she could even speak her mind, something unexpected happened.

 ***CRACKLE***

The loud sound of lightning echoed throughout the air as a bolt struck the ground that acted as the center between herself and Saber, Gordes and Saber of Black, and Lancer and Archer.

Looking up, she saw what had caused it.

"A chariot!?"

It was a flying chariot being pulled by two large bulls. It floated its way down to their level as the lightning bolts began to die out.

On said chariot was a man with a rather large build with red hair and a matching red mantle with fur trimming. Beside him stood a man wearing a suit with red scarf. He had long black hair, the expression on his face being rather stoic.

"All of you, sheathe your weapons. You are in the presence of a King!" The larger man began, smiling as he noticed that all were looking at him. "I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors. I also go by the name Rider of Red in this Grail War."

Performing such an entrance, those who witnessed looked on in shock at how brazenly Rider of Red had declared his identity to them. The man beside him, most likely his Master, was only sighing at this as though it was something he knew would happen.

"The King of Conquerors...?" Saber was honestly surprised to meet a famous figure and a fellow King like himself.

"Why is it that I feel a sense of deja vu?" Rider's Master muttered to himself while massaging his temple.

"You told me before that I did this once during our last partnership right? It's only natural for me to do it again!" Rider replied with a big smile as he turned his attention back towards the others. "I have been watching you all closely for a time now, and I feel I must declare this."

He looked directly at Gordes who flinched in response at Rider's stare. Saber of Black quickly stood in front of his Master just in case.

"You there! Don't you go accusing us of anything you hear me!?" Rider declared while pointing a finger at both Lancer and Archer. "Those two aren't part of our team, so don't go running your mouth unless you have your facts straight!"

The plump man was taken back by this. He was being accused of being a fool by a Servant of all things!

"Wait, you blew our cover for something like that?"

"We would have been found out sooner or later. Might as well make a big entrance right?" Rider smiled. "Besides, being accused of things we never even had part in wouldn't do us any favors with Ruler now won't it?"

While he said this, he glanced at Jeanne herself.

"Worthless little...! Do you honestly expect us to believe-!" Gordes began but was interrupted.

"No, I can most definitely vouch for Rider's statement." Jeanne spoke up as all turned to her. "As Ruler, I have an innate connection towards all Servants who have been summoned to participate in the Grail War of Trifas."

She glanced at her would be assassins, both of whom were looking more and more concerned with the current situation.

"However, both Lancer and Archer are Servants whom have no connection to me whatsoever. I suppose you all can understand that for what it means."

Gordes looked honestly surprised at that, as did Saber of Black along with Rider's Master.

"So what Kotomine said was true..." The latter muttered to himself. He would need to discuss this with the others later. Rider on the other hand had other thoughts as he gazed at Ruler.

"Speaking of which, greetings to you Ruler." He greeted and smiled at the young Saint. "I've heard good things about you. Mind joining my army once you're done with the Grail War? Someone of your nature can help inspire my troops."

Jeanne did not expect such a question, as did those around her except for Rider's master.

"It's an honor to meet you as well, King of Conquerors." She began. "However, I will have to decline on that offer. My role is only to ensure that this Holy Grail War is held correctly. Other than that, I have no wishes to be anything else other than who I am."

"Well that's too bad. Hey, you two! How about you both join my army?" Rider asked as he looked at Lancer and Archer, much to the astonishment of those around, most especially the two he had asked in the first place.

"Wait, what kind of logic is that!?" His companion quickly began. "First you declare that we're not with them, and now you're suggesting they join you!?"

"Well its not like I'm lying now is it? I mean after all, we weren't allied with them during their attack on Ruler." Rider casually explained. "I also happen to like them. They're both good, they'd make fine additions to my army!"

"Why am I not surprised?" The man sighed as Rider turned back to look at both Lancer and Archer.

"Well what do you say? Wanna join up with me?" He asked with a big smile, causing both to shake their heads at the situation presented before them.

"I refuse." Lancer was the first to respond. "I have already pledged my service to another, and I will not break that oath no matter the circumstances, King of Conquerors."

"I too refuse. Much like Lancer, I intend to keep the oath I've made as a Servant to fight alongside my Master." Archer stated.

It was then that the Chaste Huntress turned around and began walking, quickly catching the attention of her companion.

"Are you planning on abandoning the task we have been given, Archer?"

"We've already failed it." She replied as she turned to look at him. "At the moment, we're in the presence of four different Servants. We can't possibly complete it in the way our Masters would wish it to be finished."

For a few moments, Lancer remained silent as he contemplated Archer's words.

"Indeed, I suppose you do have a point." The massive spear in his hands dissipated as he began following Archer.

"Wait a minute the both of you!" Gordes began. "We're not done here-!"

"If you wish to follow us, then by all means." Lancer interrupted him with a stare, causing the portly man to freeze in place. "However, be sure that it shall be your final decision, for both you and your Saber will not be allowed to retreat afterwards."

With that, both of them jumped into the air and dissipated into spirit form soon after.

"Tch...! Of all the brazen audacity..." Gordes cursed. He was then reminded there was still another problem he had to deal with.

Both he and Saber of Black turned their full attention towards the Master and Servant duo of the Red Faction.

"Hmm? What is it? Do you two want to fight?" Rider said, noticing their stares. "Do you both honestly believe now is the time for that kind of nonsense?"

"Why not? We are enemies after all." Gordes replied as he looked at Rider's Master. "Waver Velvet, I know why you and your people are here. Just to make it clear now, none of you shall be laying a hand on the Greater Grail."

"Hmph. Arrogance doesn't serve any use for anyone Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia." Waver replied curtly.

"Hah! As if Alexander the Great can defeat my Saber! He was a King, not a warrior! He can't possibly defeat Saber of Black!" The former boasted.

"Hey, I'm standing right here." Rider complained before eyeing Saber of Black. "That said, how about you Saber of Black? Would you like to join us?"

Saber shook his head in response, causing the larger man to sigh in disappointment.

"Hahaha...! Do you truly plan on trying to recruit every Servant you see?"

A voice cut through the air as gold mist formed in the air and slowly descended down towards the ground. A man appeared from it wearing golden armor of ancient design and feel. On the back of his armor were two long swords. He had blonde hair swept back except of a single strand that dangled in his face and red eyes. He outfit gave a view of his muscular body.

Using her abilities, Jeanne tried identifying the man in front of them. She widened her eyes once she was finished. She could only stare at the golden-clad man in shock. She didn't think that someone as old and powerful as him would be summoned as a Servant!

"Hoh? You're a little late Goldie." Rider quipped. "And here I thought you were going to miss out on the fun."

"Fool, the only reason I've arrived as late as I did is because you and your Master left without even notifying us first." The man in gold replied, giving off an annoyed aura. "At any rate, the little girls, and that barbarian looking man are on their way towards that villa you spoke of. Though when they arrive is not much concern to me."

"I see. Thank you for the information Archer." Waver said in response. He was slightly wondering as to how Archer was able to so quickly catch up with them.

Archer of Red didn't reply as he then turned his attention fully towards Ruler, the blonde knight putting up her guard as he did so.

"Hmph. So you are Ruler?" He said in distaste, quickly identifying her as he stared her down.

While he admitted that she was quite a beauty, he could tell from one glance that she was someone of common background. That all the more made her existence as the Ruler-Class Servant to be quite insulting for him, the King, to acknowledge.

"Tell me, woman. Under whose authority do you act as Ruler?" Archer began.

"No one. I act only as a mediator for the Holy Grail War, to ensure that it be fought properly." Jeanne replied, not at all taken back by the Golden Servant's stare.

"Hoh? Is that right? Well then, tell me something. Do you know what it means to be a Ruler?"

"What it means...?" Jeanne muttered, somewhat confused at Archer's words.

"If you do not know what it means... perhaps I should show you!"

"...!?"

 ***CLANG***

Before Jeanne even noticed it, Saber stood in front of her and deflected an incoming projectile. She looked to see what said projectile was, and she saw a finely crafted blade instead of the arrow she had expected to see.

"Is that... a Noble Phantasm?" Gordes muttered to himself as he saw the weapon dissipate into air soon afterwards.

"Have you no shame, Archer?" Saber questioned as looked the one responsible. "Even if that blade was only meant to scare her, that's still no excuse to attack her."

"Hoh? You have good reflexes... and you even managed to guess my intent." Archer replied as he observed the sword in Saber's hands. "Hmm, that sword... it's not something I've seen before. Who are you? Something of that caliber, only a truly special being can ever hope to wield it."

It wasn't so much of a question that it was a demand. Nonetheless, Saber fully intended to reply.

"I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain. I am the Saber-Class Servant that Ruler has summoned."

All, save Archer of Red and Jeanne herself, looked on in slight awe but at the same time expected his answer. After all, who else could wield such as magnificent blade and use it quite efficiently? And there was only one sword in the world that he wielding, for no other could give off such a powerful sensation as it did.

"My, my, no wonder that sword looked familiar!" Rider whistled in honest surprise. "I never expected to meet the King of Knights here. This is quite the honor!"

"And the same holds for me as well, King of Conquerors." Saber nodded in acknowledgement of the larger man's presence. "Since you declared your identity, I felt that it would be shameful of me to hide my own should I be questioned."

"Indeed, indeed." Rider nodded. "No true King should be ashamed of their identity. It's as shame Goldie over here is so tight lipped about his though."

That caught Saber's attention. So the man in gold was also a King himself?

"Fool. I've already mentioned that you all should figure it out for yourselves." Archer replied with an annoyed look on his face. "What hope is there for fools if they continually must seek answers from others?"

"I suppose you have a point." Rider commented. "At any rate, sorry about Goldie over here. He's a little twitchy at the fact that there's a Ruler-Class Servant."

Jeanne nodded in understanding, though she gave Archer of Red a cautious look as she did so.

It was at that moment something came to mind, and the current situation presented her with the ability to bring it to fruition due to a Master from each faction standing before her.

"Twitchy!? He tried to attack her!" Gordes suddenly exclaimed. "As I thought, you members of the Red Faction cannot be trusted. I-!"

"Please wait a moment!" Jeanne called out as everyone stared at her, causing the blonde saint to flinch at the sudden attention.

"A-Ah right." She began, clearing her voice somewhat. "As the mediator of the Holy Grail War, I hereby declare a temporary ceasefire that shall begin from this moment onward until the next three days."

"What? Explain the meaning of this woman!" Archer demanded of the other blonde.

"There are several anomalies in the Holy Grail War that I have noticed since my summoning as Ruler." She began. "One of those anomalies were the two Servants that had left before you arrived Archer. You can ask Rider and his master for more information regarding that subject."

The golden-clad man looked at said duo for a moment before turning his attention back towards Ruler.

"I would like to have a day or two of investigation so that I may be able to ascertain the situation better before any battles between your two factions truly commence. I fear that there is more to this Holy Grail War than what I myself know, and I may need the aid of both factions should the occasion arise. Which is why I urge you all to remain civil for the time being."

"Very well." Waver replied as everyone looked at him. "Your reasoning is sound, as such we shall hold a ceasefire until then. Is that alright with you?"

He looked at Gordes as he spoke. The plump older man was starting to get weary of the events that were happening before him.

"I shall have to take this up with Darnic." He replied. "But I believe he will agree with the ceasefire Ruler has issued. We shall send a message to you should we agree to it. Come Saber, let us take our leave."

Saber of Black nodded, giving one last look towards all the other Servants, specifically his fellow Saber-class. The two exchanged nods at one another, the King of Knights giving his fellow class member a sign of his thanks for stepping in earlier. Soon afterwards, both men were gone.

"Alright then, I suppose that's settled." Waver commented.

"Tch! Spoiling my fun as a King... such insolence!" Archer muttered as he sheathed his blades. Just when he was getting quite excited about fighting for the first time since his summoning, his brief exchange of blows with Saber of Red not withstanding.

"I thank you for your understanding." Jeanne said as she walked up to Waver, holding out a hand. The man took it and they shook.

"Well I suppose a ceasefire isn't so bad. That amount of time, I could probably get the rest of the Black Servants to come work for me by then!" Rider thought aloud with a smile on his face, clearly dead serious with his plans.

"Were you born an idiot?" Archer couldn't help but state.

"Perhaps. But, it doesn't change the fact that I'm the King of Conquerors now does it?"

"Hmph. Foolishness." The golden-clad Servant stated as he began dissipating into spirit form. He exchanged one last look with Saber and Ruler just before he did though.

We're far from finished yet. Those where the words that came to mind when they looked back at him, the words that Archer was most likely thinking of himself.

"Well I suppose that wraps up our meeting for tonight." Rider began as held the reins of his chariot. He then gave one last look towards Jeanne and Saber himself.

"Though our meeting was somewhat short, I suppose it couldn't be helped." He said before he broke out a smile. "I hope our next meeting will be much more enjoyable, King of Knights, Saint of France. Farewell!"

With that, lightning burst forth as his chariot flew into the air.

Jeanne only smiled in response at his words. From the way Rider had spoke and bared himself, he was a man worthy of respect. Saber too had the same thoughts. He was curious to see what would happen with someone like the King of Conquerors being summoned as a Servant in the Grail War.

"I suppose we should be taking our leave as well?"

"Yes, let us-"

Jeanne suddenly fell forward leading to Saber catching her before she hit the ground. The armor she wore disappeared and in its place was the school uniform Jeanne wore as her civilian clothes.

"I see," Saber began as he realized what had happened. "Your body is already at its limit, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry. But fighting against Archer with Laeticia's body already tired out from travelling all day... this was the result." She muttered, her eyes barely open. She was pushing it quite closely during that fight.

"No need to apologize." The White Knight replied in a gentle tone. "Sleep for now, I will take care of the rest."

Jeanne dozed off at Saber's words, leaning closer into him. With her like this, he noted that she really did look different. She didn't look like the proud and dignified Saint who took up arms in order to defend her country against foreign invaders, but the young maiden that she was before all that.

Carrying her piggyback style, he thought aloud his next move.

"Now then... to find somewhere to stay for the night."

* * *

"Hmm... how interesting."

A woman spoke as she watched the events of that night unfold through a crystal ball. She wore a black and purple dress that was mostly concealed by the black hooded cloak that she wore.

"Did something happen Master?"

A young boy questioned as he appeared beside her. He had orange hair and blue eyes, and he wore an outfit that signified his membership to the Yggdmillennia clan, otherwise known as the Black Faction. The only difference between his outfit and the rest was that he wore shorts instead of pants.

His name was Roche Frain, and the woman beside him was none other than Caster of Black.

"No, no, nothing has happened." She replied before giving him an amused smile. "And what have I told you about calling me Master? I am your Servant after all. Call me Teacher instead, it's much more appropriate."

"Ahaha, I'm sorry. It was force of habit." Roche smiled in response while scratching the back of his head. "So what exactly did you see Teacher? Was it something good?"

"Perhaps. It's quite too early to say at the moment." Caster replied as she turned around and began walking. "Come, we have to finish preparations before our enemies decide to come and strike at us here."

"Yes!"

Her master spoke with joyful enthusiasm, which was not that surprising considering that he was a child of about twelve years old. She was also grateful that she wasn't summoned by someone of lesser character, and with the allies she had as a member of the Black Faction, perhaps her wish could come true.

 _'Still... to think she would appear.'_

What surprised her tonight was the appearance of Archer. She hadn't expected to see her, much less as an outsider of the grail war. She also took note of both Ruler and Saber, the latter in particular interesting her due to his identity. If she could Archer and him to fight on their side, then perhaps...

No, now wasn't really the time to distract herself with such thoughts. She had other duties to fulfill, and that was to create a solid defense for their castle.

With that, Servant of Magic continued with her tasks.

* * *

"So this is going to be our base of operations for the time being?"

Kairi questioned as he, along with Reines, Gray, Saber, and Lancer, stood in front of a rather luxurious villa on a side of a mountain, having just arrived there that night. Waver and Rider had gone on ahead to Trifas without warning to do a little reconnaissance, leaving them a note on where to meet up, with Archer having apparently chased after them on his own much to Reines' annoyance.

If Kairi had one thing to say regarding such places, it was that he felt like a sitting duck. He much preferred simple homes and caves for that matter.

"Does that trouble you Mr. Shishigou? This is a villa my family had taken off the hands of a Magus who had been indebted many years ago. Though the building is old, the magecraft that protects it should still be working even to this day." Reines said.

"No, it's not that really that at all. I just feel like we're a little exposed where we are." He replied as he pointed to the Yggdmillennia Castle in the far distance. While at this range one wouldn't be able to make out any of the people living there, a Servant could easily do so. However, it was mitigated slightly by the trees that covered them as well as the boundary field that was set up.

"And why would you say that we're exposed?" The blonde girl questioned, gesturing to said features that Kairi had just noted down himself.

"Well I once knew a guy who could easily bypass any of these defenses from a distance." He began. "I don't know if he's dead or alive, but if he was here, anybody who didn't know about him would be easy pickings."

"Oh? How would he go about it?"

"He'd probably get something like a rocket launcher and just blow the cap of the mountain. After all, boundary fields are more in line to protect against magic, not against nature itself." Kairi replied.

"A rocket launcher? You mean he's not a mage?"

"Oh no, he's definitely a mage. He's just more like a mercenary like myself." He once again replied. "Anyhow, that's something that's in the past. Too long to talk about without a drink in my hand."

Reines gave him a look before heading into the villa, and both the other two Masters were about to do the same when suddenly...

"I feel like doing a little exercising." Lancer muttered to himself as he began stretching. "Say Saber, to pass the time, why don't we spar a little?"

"And what would be the point of that?" Saber replied in an annoyed tone.

"Come on, don't be so cold." The green-haired spearsman said with a smile. "After all, you can't honestly tell me with a straight face that you're not the least bit bored doing basically nothing all this time."

A few moments of silence passed as Saber contemplated his words.

"Fine, have it your way." She replied, before glaring at him suddenly. "However, if you hold back on me because you see me as a woman, I will hurt you."

 _'Whoa, such a dangerous stare.'_ Lancer flinched comically, his male senses telling him she was completely serious. "I swear on my good word that I won't."

With that, both began walking into the forest to find a decent spot for a spar. They both stopped in their tracks when suddenly...

"Oi, don't just go on making decisions on your own!" Kairi exclaimed while pointing a finger to himself and Gray. "What happened to asking for our permissions first?"

"Ah, that's right." Lancer spoke up in realization. "Say Master, can we spar?"

"You may, but please don't go on ahead and try to kill each other." Gray spoke quietly before heading into the villa. Kairi could only stare at the girl's back incredulously as Saber and Lancer went on their way, the former not even asking Kairi for his permission. Only giving him a look which only made him nod.

"Christ, some people..." He muttered to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah, Shishigou."

The sound of lightning and thunder in the air and as well as his own name being called out caused said man to look up into the sky to see Rider and Waver riding on a chariot being pulled by two bulls, which itself descended on to the ground.

"El-Melloi, you're back sooner than I thought." The necromancer said. "Something happened?"

It was at that time Archer appeared in physical form with both his arms crossed and with a rather sour look on his face. He walked past Kairi, heading straight for the inside of the building. Kairi could only wonder what would cause him to have such a look on his face.

"What's the deal with him?"

"A lot happened." Waver replied as he got off. "Where are the others?"

"That blonde kid and that girl you call your apprentice are inside the villa. Saber and Lancer went sparring in the woods. And that Kotomine kid and Assassin took off somewhere else for some reason. He said that they would be bringing a trump card to the city."

"A trump card? And that would be?" Rider spoke up, honestly curious.

"No clue." Kairi replied to the giant man who looked disappointed. "And now that we're by ourselves, I gotta be honest. I don't trust him that much, everything about him just screams wrong to me."

If he had to be honest with himself, if the kid was the one leading them, he would have had second thoughts about joining up with the group.

"Believe me, I have my suspicions of him as well." Waver nodded in agreement as he crossed his arms. "But for now, he hasn't actually done anything. Let's just keep him at arms length for the time being."

"You mind if that arm be my shotgun?" The sunglasses wearing man smirked.

"By all means, go right ahead."

* * *

"Hmm... I didn't expect for Saber of Black and Rider of Red to interfere."

Inside a room sitting on a chair was Shirou Kotomine. Beside him was Assassin, standing near him with both hands on his shoulders.

"See? Did I not say that sending Lancer after Ruler instead of Archer and Berserker that day would have been more ideal? Now we don't even have the element of surprise regarding both him and Archer." She said.

"It's already too late to wallow in the past, but I see your point." Shirou replied.

"Now, what do you plan on doing next? With a ceasefire declared, we won't be able to do anything for the next three days." Assassin inquired as she leveled her head near his, all the while directing a smile at him.

"Just like before. Wait and see what happens. Another opportunity will rise once more, that much I can assure you." He said as he stood up. "Let us check on Berserker and Caster shall we? We can plan our next move then."

"Ugh, that mad writer?" Assassin groaned while crossing her arms, a frown appearing on her beautiful face. "How is it that man came to be considered a Heroic Spirit is beyond me. He's nothing more than a raving lunatic who thinks every person around him is a character in a story!"

"Hehe, I suppose that's part of his charm isn't it?"

"Why anyone would even want him as a Servant..." Assassin began as they both left the room together.

* * *

The next day...

"Ugh..."

Sitting up slowly, Jeanne awoke from her slumber as rays of sunlight shined down upon her face. She felt quite rested, especially after the events of last night, her wounds now having healed.

Looking around, she noticed that she was on a bed inside a room made up of wooden furnishings. She also noticed that Laeticia's bag was in the corner, laid out on a small desk. She noted to herself that most likely Saber retrieved it for her. She would have to thank him for that later.

Getting up, she put on her shoes and walked out of the room and into a hallway. There she came across someone.

"Ah, it looks like you're finally awake."

It was an elderly woman wearing a nun's habit. She had a kind expression on her face as she smiled at Jeanne.

"I am Alma Petresia, I am a sister of this church." She introduced herself. "You were asleep when your friend came by with you on his back seeking shelter last night."

"Oh my, my apologies for intruding on you like this." Jeanne bowed her head.

"Now, now, God teaches us that we must show kindness to those in need. Isn't that right dear?"

"Yes, I suppose it is indeed." The blonde haired girl smiled in response.

"Besides, your companion was kind enough to help us out this morning."

"Help out?"

* * *

"Ah, it's good to see you awake Jeanne."

"Saber...?"

Jeanne and the sister walked towards a room in the church which contained a dining table and a kitchen in one part. There, she saw her Servant wearing his casual clothes sans his black longcoat. In its place instead was an apron of all things.

On said table was an array of food ready to be eaten. A few other members of that church were already seated and ready to eat.

"Saber? I thought your name was Arthur?" The sister questioned.

"Ahaha, it's just a nickname that stuck." Saber replied while smiling. "I happen to be quite good with a sword you see, and that's why I'm called Saber."

"Ah, that makes sense."

Later, all were now seating around the table. The sister called for a short prayer, to which everyone participated in. Afterwards, they began eating.

That is, all except Jeanne. The girl couldn't help but stare somewhat at her breakfast for that day, as well as the meals the others also had, and then looking back and forth between said meals and Saber.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?" He asked, noticing the looks she had been giving him.

"Eh? Ah...! Nothing is wrong. I'm just surprised that's all." She began, embarrassed at being caught. "Saber, you can cook?"

The young Saint was honestly and completely surprised by this fact. Never had she expected King Arthur to know how to cook a meal during the 21st Century.

"Somewhat. My father and brother didn't know how to cook at all, leaving me as the responsible one in our family after mother passed on." Saber replied as he began reminiscing somewhat before turning his attention back towards Jeanne. "And in order to compensate for our stay here, I offered to help out in anyway. The cook for the day was sick, so I volunteered."

 _"Besides, thanks to the knowledge given to us by the Grail, I'm know enough on how to make a healthy meal by modern day standards."_ He telepathically added.

"I see." Jeanne nodded in response. That seemed logical enough, and the two men Saber was talking in his family were most likely Sir Ector and Sir Kay, his foster father and brother respectively. She was curious to learn more about them, but decided to drop the subject for now as she took a bite.

She froze when she did however.

"My, my, Arthur, this isn't half-bad." Sister Petresia commented. "For someone who says he hasn't cooked a meal for years now, you've managed to retain some of your skill. This is even better than what Francis usually makes."

"Not at all. I only followed the notes I found in one of your recipe books. It's easy to understand if one knows what they're doing."

Saber replied in a humble tone for it was true. While he knew how to cook, he would be the first to admit that he wasn't good, a result of following through with the idea of "quantity over quality" from his time. However, thanks to the cook book owned by the church, he was able to learn more about the topic and improve himself, resulting in what he considered a good meal. A sentiment shared by the others by the looks of it.

Unbeknownst to him, his Master on the other hand couldn't help but sulk for some reason as she continued to eat. Something inside her felt like it was defeated, and she wasn't even sure if said feeling came from either her or Laeticia!

* * *

"Ah, this is so much better than sleeping inside a cave."

Saber of Red sighed in relaxation as she lazily laid on the bed inside the room where she and her Master stayed.

"That Lancer, what is he made of?"

Her thoughts went back to last night during her spar with Lancer of Red. Despite giving it her best, almost none of her attacks made him flinch even a bit. She found it insulting to say the least, especially since during that time the green-haired spearsman had a mocking smile on his face while they fought.

Once their enemies were defeated, she'd turn her attention towards him first after she settled her business with the Golden Archer.

"Now that I think about it, where is Master?"

Heading out, she walked throughout the villa. Since it wasn't that big, she was easily able memorize which rooms were what and who they belonged to.

Saber kept walking, to which she then came across another room. It was at that point she sensed the presence of her Master inside. Satisfied at having found him, she reached out to the doorknob.

"Hey Master, I-"

"You're kidding me... You mean to actually tell me that Ruler's Servant is King Arthur himself?"

Saber of Red froze as she heard her Master speak aloud a name she was all too familiar with.

* * *

"Lord Darnic."

Darnic looked up from his desk as female homunculus stood at the door to his office.

"What is it?" He questioned.

"The Master of Assassin has arrived." She replied. "He is waiting just outside the door."

"Ah, bring him in."

The female homunculus did as told and opened the door. At that, a young man entered the room wearing what looked to be a brown Japanese school uniform for some reason. He had black hair and eyes, and he also wore square-framed glasses.

"It's about time you finally arrived Julian, I was expecting you to have been here yesterday."

"My apologies." Julian replied. "My flight was delayed."

"No matter then." Darnic said as he walked over to the teen. "And your Servant?"

At that, several figures appeared inside the room. All of them wore black clothing and had black skin, and all of them wore somewhat identical skull masks. They all had the presence of a Servant.

"Ah, Hassan-I-Sabbah, or rather, the Hundred Face Hassan." Darnic smiled. "With this, the Servants of Black are now together at last."

While Darnic was quite pleased with Assassin's arrival, he didn't notice the look that Julian gave him.

 _'Indeed. With this, we are one step closer to our goal...'_

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

With that, the first night of the Holy Grail War is done. Once again, I've already said that I'm not good at fight scenes, so I leave the rest for you guys to imagine.

Just in case some of you guys are wondering why Proto-Saber can cook, there's a good reason for that. During my free time looking into Fate/Prototype, I've come across several official images, I think, that for some reason depict Arthur wearing an apron and armed with a spatula or a frying pan. And if memory serves right, in F/P: Fragments, I read a summary of a chapter which says that Proto-Saber can cook. So, knowing that, I took it from there and included it here.

And I also decided to put a bit of Emiya Shirou in him too (Especially since Arthur is more like Shirou than Altria to begin with) in that he's kinda good in the kitchen, mostly thanks to learning a bit more about it, unlike the F/P: Fragments novels where apparently it's only "meh" or something. Well, it's a least better than Altria who does nothing but freeload off Shirou in F/HA XP. That said, I won't make Arthur a "food god" that **_so many_** authors end up doing Emiya Shirou that it's not even funny.

Anyway, Iskandar's entrance in this chapter was more or less inspired/taken from his F/Z intro to Saber and Lancer. In F/A, Siegfried and Karna fought each other from night until the sun came up, but here they only traded a few blows, and this time Atalanta joined in on the fun.

That's it for now. Please review :D


	4. Act I-4: The Meeting

_**AN: And here's Chapter 4.**_ ** _Please read and review :D_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4:**_

 _ **The Meeting**_

* * *

"Hmm~"

Humming a tune as she worked, Jeanne washed the plates and other kitchenware used that morning after volunteering to do so. After all, it wouldn't have been fair if Saber was the only one helping out and she would be doing nothing herself.

Doing such an activity also reminded her somewhat of her life as a farm girl. Doing chores for someone else, friendly people all around, it all gave off a nostalgic feeling.

During said task, she began thinking about her plans for the day.

 _'Now then... what should I be doing next?_ _With the ceasefire I've asked for, I now have at least three days of peace. That should provide me enough time to investigate the strange occurrences that have happened since the beginning of the Grail War.'_

The first order of business would be to go visit the Yggdmillennia Castle. She had yet to receive any formal response on whether or not the Masters of Black agree to the ceasefire or not. And there was also the fact that if her assumptions were right, then the Holy Grail was hidden somewhere in their castle. It was an assumption she based on Gordes' words towards the man known as Waver Velvet last night.

Although it was a long shot, perhaps she could convince their leader to allow her to have a look at it. Her investigation should flow smoothly if she could somehow make use of the Grail to possibly learn anything she missed when she was first summoned.

Such things included the existence of Servants outside of her connection to other fourteen, her special privilege being present yet inactive, and the reason as to why she was summoned into a physical body instead of a spiritual one...

Then again, that could fail. She wasn't exactly a mage, so the only thing she was betting on that would allow her to access it was her title as Ruler. She supposed she would just have to deal with it later on...

Finishing up, she dried her hands and went outside for some fresh air. It was the first time that day she stepped outside, and when she did, she was greeted to the sight of a lovely morning. The big blue sky with the sun shining brightly... truly somethings never change.

The church itself was located in a rural section of the city, close towards some of the forest areas that surrounded the city itself. In the distance, she saw the Yggdmillennia Castle settled on the side of a mountain. The design of the building looked to be quite intimidating, no doubt it was made that way intentionally by the magi who lived there in order to ward away trespassers of normal nature.

Jeanne then looked around her surroundings, and at that point she noticed Saber seating by himself reading a book, and going by the expression on his face, he was enjoying it too. She also concluded that Saber must've already finished the other chore the Sister had given him that day after his work in the kitchen, which was chopping firewood if the axe and large stacks of logs not too far from him were of any indication.

When she looked closely, she noted that the book he was reading was none other than the very same book she chose to preoccupy herself with during her journey to Glastonbury. "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White.

Basically, that meant Saber was reading a book about himself and his Knights, the thought of which brought an amused smile to her face for some reason. Jeanne then walked over to him, catching the young man's attention.

"Is there something you wish to speak about?" Saber asked as he greeted her with a smile of his own.

"Nothing really." She replied as she sat beside him. "What do you think about that book?"

"To be honest? Somewhat amusing." He chuckled briefly. "It feels rather strange to read a book about oneself, especially when that book already treats you and your comrades as people of legend."

Ruler couldn't help but giggle at this. "Saber, you and your knights are people of legend."

"Perhaps, but it's a strange feeling nonetheless." He replied, and it was that moment that Jeanne was reminded of something.

Come to think of it, she had yet to tell Saber the truth of the Rogue Berserker's identity. She had forgotten all about it after she and Saber introduced themselves to each other, coupled with their flight towards Romania, and later battle against Lancer and Archer. Events kept happening that it became buried in the back of her mind.

She didn't know how to break it to him. She just couldn't go on and say "Oh Saber, I forgot. The Berserker that attacked us in Glastonbury is Sir Lancelot." And there was another thing that was on her mind...

According to legend, Sir Lancelot was still someone whom King Arthur considered a friend in spite of his and the Queen's betrayal of him through their affair. And given what she already knew of Saber as a person, she knew this to be very much the case.

And if so, how would Saber react to the knowledge that his close friend had been summoned as Berserker-Class Servant?

At the moment, she didn't know what to do. Perhaps it would best to just keep it to herself for now, at least until Berserker showed up again. Maybe then she would find the courage to tell Saber who he was.

"Jeanne?"

"Eh?"

She failed to notice that she had been staring at Saber for a good while with the latter being aware of it himself if the somewhat confused look her was giving her was of any indication.

"Is something the matter?"

"A-Ahaha~" She quickly stood up. "N-Nothing is wrong!"

"Your stuttering says otherwise." Saber stated as the other blonde froze.

"Really, there's nothing wrong." Jeanne once more assured her Servant. "I'm just thinking we should now be heading to the Castle owned by the Masters of Black. After all, we have still yet to receive any notification of them agreeing to the ceasefire. And there's something I need to confirm at there as well."

"No, I'm afraid that at the moment you cannot." The Knight suddenly spoke up in a stern tone.

"Eh?"

"You know what I said." Saber began. "You should at least take more time for yourself to relax. I don't think Laeticia is going to take kindly to the fact that you'll be running her body ragged so soon especially after yesterday."

Jeanne wanted to refute this, but found logic in Saber's words.

"It's still early in the morning, so take some time for yourself. We can go the Black Faction later in the afternoon or perhaps tomorrow. Am I understood?"

"Saber," The young Saint began with a pout on her face. "Right now, it feels like you're the Master instead of me."

"Haha, is that right?" Saber merely smiled in response.

"Hmph!" Jeanne turned around in a huff, mildly annoyed with her Servant at that moment.

"My, my, it seems you two are getting along."

Both looked to see Alma Petresia standing there with an amused smile on her face.

"Sister, good morning." Jeanne greeted. "Do you need something of us?"

"Yes, I was hoping to ask Arthur if he can go into the city and buy a few things for me."

"I can do that. What is it that you need?" Saber asked as he stood up.

"It's nothing much, just simple grocery shopping." She gave him a list that detailed what to buy, the location of the market on where to buy said items, as well as giving him the money to do so. "At this hour, the store isn't open yet. But, if you get in line early, you can get the best produce for yourself if you're quick."

"Alright then, I suppose should get going now." The young man stated as he turned to leave.

"Wait, I'll come with you." Jeanne said.

"Hmm? I can do this myself." Saber replied while adding one last thing through telepathy. _"Also, what have I just told you?"_

"I'm not so feeble that I would strain myself doing a little shopping." Jeanne simply stated in response, giving a rather snippy look towards Saber. "Also, men can't be trusted to be by themselves without having someone to look after them. Most likely, you'll get yourself into trouble without me."

The Knight could only give off an amused smile at her words, deciding to relent to his Master's decision. With that, they both turned to leave.

"Ah, wait you two." The Sister called out as both stopped in their tracks. "You don't think of walking there are you? Come, I have something you both can use instead. You'll find it much more convenient than just walking back and forth."

"...?" The duo looked at her confused as they followed the nun.

* * *

"What the hell am I watching right now?"

That early morning, Kairi stood somewhat speechless as he watched Waver Velvet, known mostly by the name El-Melloi II, playing a videogame known as "Admirable War Tactics III" together with Rider of Red, who himself was Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors. The former also happened to be wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and boxer shorts, looking nothing like the dignified magus he presented himself most of the time.

The surrealism of the moment was just too great for words.

"Ack! I've been playing this game for years, how do you keep beating me!?" Waver demanded.

"Hahaha! You forget that I've been on actual military conquests boy!" Rider laughed.

"Stop calling me boy! I'm about the same age as you already."

"Really?"

"Ahem." Kairi coughed, catching the attention of both. "Looks like the two of you are having fun."

"Oh, Saber's Master, wanna join in on the fun?" Rider asked.

"Not really." The necromancer replied. "You wanted to see me though?"

"Right, let's get down to business." Waver replied as he stood up.

"Before all that, please put on some pants first."

From out of nowhere, Gray suddenly appeared and spoke. She then handed the long-haired man his pants. From the way she acted, Kairi guessed that this was something she was already used to doing.

* * *

"So, I take it that the little miss and that Kotomine kid ain't joining us?"

Now wearing more appropriate attire, Waver sat at the desk inside his room with both Kairi and Gray sitting opposite of him. Rider decided to watch some TV for now as the discussion was something that he saw his Master could handle on his own.

"No, waking her up at this hour would only annoy her." Waver replied. "And Kotomine hasn't yet arrived in the city. God knows what he's up to."

"Like I said last night, I don't trust him."

"I know, but that's not what I want to talk about today." Waver began. "Our subject for the day is in regards to events of last night."

"I was wondering when you were gonna share that..."

"While on reconnaissance out in the city, myself and Rider stumbled upon Ruler and her Servant having a battle against two other Servants. One of them is of the Lancer-Class, and the other is of the Archer-Class."

That caught both Kairi and Gray's attention. Two Servants were attacking Ruler last night?

"That's not all. Ruler stated that these two Servants aren't a part of the Yggdmillennia group. I suppose you can take a guess at what that means."

"Seriously? Damn, things just got weird fast." Kairi rubbed his temple. That meant that there were two rogue Servants on the loose. Either they were strays left over from one of the Fake Grail Wars, or perhaps something or someone else was behind them.

"Is there anything else Master?" Gray asked.

"There is something." Waver began. "Ruler declared a three day ceasefire for the time being. She wants to do a little investigating into these strange events."

"So we've got at least three days to relax? Well ain't that something."

"It is, but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down." The other man stated. "Ruler may have declared it, but we never know when the Masters of Black would have second thoughts. There's also the possibility of those two rogue Servants attacking us as well."

"Great, any other news?"

"Well there is one. We now know the identity of Ruler's Servant." Waver replied as he looked in Gray's direction. "This is also one of the reasons why I wanted you to be here Gray. I thought you might want to know."

The grey-haired girl looked somewhat confused at this, as did Kairi. What was he talking about?

"Ruler's Servant is of the Saber-Class, and he's none other than King Arthur Pendragon."

Silenced reigned for a good moment as both Kairi and Gray widened their eyes in shock at the information Waver had just stated to them, the latter most especially due to who she was.

"You're kidding me... You mean to actually tell me that Ruler's Servant is King Arthur himself?" Kairi questioned, with Gray listening in more intently.

Was it really true? She couldn't help but wonder this. If it was the case, then...

"Yes, this isn't something I'm guessing at. He actually declared it when Archer questioned his identity."

"The King of Knights seems like an interesting fellow. I'd like to have a chance to meet with him some more!" Rider commented from his place with a big smile. As a fellow King, he wanted to know more of what Saber was like. For Gray, she had similar thoughts going through her mind.

Kairi on the other hand had other thoughts. If what Waver said was true, that Ruler's Servant was King Arthur, he couldn't let-

 ***BAM***

 **"WHERE IS HE...!?"**

The door of the room slammed open, breaking apart as it did so. At the doorway stood Saber of Red wearing her civilian guise, her leg raised, indicating she kicked the door open. Her current visage at the moment was the epitome of rage about to reach the boiling point.

 _'Shit, that's just my luck...'_

"What's the meaning of this...!?" Waver demanded.

"Answer me mage, where is he!?" Saber of Red declared once more as she walked over and materialized her blade, pointing it towards Waver. The latter was not intimidated by the action the slightest. But he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't taken by surprise by it though.

"That's enough, Saber!" Kairi stood up while looking directly at his Servant. "Don't go pointing your sword at our allies! This isn't a joke!"

"You stay out of this!" Saber roared, causing her Master and the others except Rider to flinch at the volume of her voice. It was tainted with anger, and it wasn't something that would be calmed down as easily like what happened between her and Archer of Red.

"Now then, for the last time mage. Tell me where he is." The blonde once more stated, this time she spoke in a more subdued tone.

"Rider, perhaps you want to join in now?"

Speaking of Rider, the large man was already wearing his full regalia as a Servant, his arms crossed as he stared at Saber with an unreadable expression.

"First of all Saber, perhaps you would care to enlighten us on something." Rider began. "Just why do wish to see the King of Knights?"

"Because he and I have business with each other."

"That's not much of answer." He scratched the back of his head. Women who knew how to fight and had tempers were never an easy to deal with, so Rider had to tread lightly. "Let me rephrase the question then: Who are you to the King of Knights?"

For several moments, nothing came out of Saber as she closed her eyes and lowered her head, clenching her freed tightly.

"He is my father..." Saber replied as she looked at Rider directly in the eye. "I am Mordred, the bastard child of King Arthur. I am the one who ended the so-called glorious legend of the King of Knights!"

Too say that Waver and Gray were taken by surprise by this was an understatement. Even Rider himself was mildly taken aback.

"Ah, I see. Now it all makes sense." Rider began. "However, that doesn't mean that I'll allow you to threaten my Master with your blade."

With that, the larger man stepped in front of his Master, kicking the latter's desk to the side in the process. Rider stared Saber down with crossed arms, unflinching as she continued to point her weapon at both.

"Do you plan on standing against me, King of Conquerors?!"

"What you want do with the King of Knights is up to you. However and like I said," Rider gestured to Waver. "I will not allow you to threaten him because of your desires. He is both my Master and my friend. For you to point a blade at him means to point a blade at me."

An amused smile found its way to Waver's face, though none could see it thanks to Rider standing in front him.

It took a few more moments before Saber decided to dissipate her weapon, the blonde haired warrior clicking her tongue as she turned around and left the room. This action caused the others, mostly Waver and Kairi, to sigh in relief.

"She's not going to be a problem is she?" The former inquired the latter. From what he had just seen, Saber of Red, or rather, Mordred, would perhaps cause problems in the future due her relation to Ruler's Servant.

"I don't think, wait, ah shit...!" Kairi quickly looked out of the window.

There, he saw Saber inside his car and driving away at full throttle, leaving behind a dust trail in the process.

"Why that little... she took my car!" He cried out in frustration. Things were just not going his way that day!

"Hehehe... how interesting." A familiar voice spoke out. "So that little girl is the child of the Holy Blade Wielder."

Leaning on the doorway was Archer of Red with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Beside him stood Reines still wearing her sleepwear.

"What happened?" She inquired, her tone indicating that she was in a sour mood that morning.

* * *

Back to Saber of Red...

The blonde-haired girl drove down to the city with an intense look in her eyes.

If the Master of Rider could not give her the information she sought, she supposed that it only other thing left to do was to go find her target herself. It may take a while, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing.

Even if it took her all day, she would find him.

 _'Father...'_

Her hands clenched the steering wheel tighter, she didn't exactly know what how to describe the feeling she was having right now.

* * *

 _'Why do I have to go through this...?'_

During the middle of that day, Caules walked through the streets of Trifas wearing casual clothes. He had a rather tired expression on his face, and there was a very good reason for that.

"Over here, Berserker~! They're selling crepes here, and they're simply delicious~!" Rider called out, wearing casual clothes befitting that of a teenage girl.

"Hey! That's not fair getting ahead of me!" Berserker cried out, she too was wearing casual clothes. Though her horns still made for a strange sight as well as her tail. When asked, Caules would reply she was a really good cosplayer, and thanks to a little hypnotic suggestion, it worked perfectly.

Ever since last night when Uncle Gordes came back to the castle with a message from Ruler declaring that there would be a ceasefire for the next three days, Berserker immediately hounded him to take her out into town as she couldn't stand being inside the castle all the time.

This continued on until this early morning, and during it Rider overheard their conversation and decided that he wanted to join in as well.

Although both he and Aunt Celenike, Rider's Master, were against it, both Darnic and Lancer were lenient enough to allow them their desires. The only condition was that they would have to be back before sunset. After all, just because there was a ceasefire going on, it didn't mean the war was over nor that anybody from the Red Faction would follow through with it.

And because Aunt Celenike didn't want to waste the day walking about, Caules became the default babysitter for both Rider and Berserker. He would have asked the others to accompany him, but Fiore decided to stay at the Castle since Archer was on lookout duty, and he didn't want to be a bother to her. Gordes and Roche were both out of the question since Caules disliked the former and the latter was still busy with Caster.

"Hey Master, wanna taste?" Berserker asked as she held out her crepe for the young man. The trio were now seated next to one another at a fountain in a nearby park.

"No thanks, I'm not really into tasty treats."

"Heh, your expression says otherwise you know~? Also, that aloof cool guy act doesn't really work that much with the ladies. Most women prefer men who are caring and honest with themselves. Of course, this is all according to my experience that is. I cannot say the same for the women of this era."

"I ain't acting aloof, and how the heck did women get caught up in this conversation!?" Caules replied in an annoyed tone.

"Hahaha! So you're self-conscious? Fear not! For I, Astolfo, shall teach you in the ways of courtship~!" Rider declared as he slung an arm around Caules' shoulder.

"How did you come to that conclusion!? And don't go saying your name out loud like that!"

Seriously, why did he have to be the one to play babysitter for these two?

"In the first place Rider, I-"

"Please be quiet for a moment."

"Huh?"

Caules looked up to see that said pinkette was now on alert. He looked to his other side to see that Berserker was in a similar state. There was only one thing in the world that could make them react like that.

There was a Servant near them, and the thought of that alone caused all three to stand up.

"Can you feel it?" Berserker stated.

"I do. It seems there are two of them." Rider replied. "And it feels like they're heading our way."

"Seriously!? But its the middle of the day!" Caules stated.

Were those two Servants going to attack them? In the middle of a populated area no less? Didn't the Red Faction agree to the ceasefire themselves in the first place!? He then realized that it could have also been the two Servants that Gordes mentioned.

 _'Damn it, what should we do? Maybe we should head back now? Rider's mount could allow us to-'_

"I don't want to interrupt your thoughts, but they're here."

"Huh?"

Before Caules knew it, a black motorcycle pulled up on the sidewalk in front of them. In the front was a young man wearing a dark brown longcoat, a red shirt, and black pants and shoes. The other was a young woman, and she wore what looked like a school uniform. Both of them also wore helmets, though the latter's helmet didn't cover her very long blonde hair.

"Ah, I thought I sensed two Servants nearby." The female spoke as she stood up, removing her helmet. She was a rather beautiful person. Long blonde hair, amethyst eyes, a slender yet curvy body, any man could fall for her at first sight.

"You three... you're all part of the Black Faction correct?" She asked as she stood in front of the trio, her companion followed suit and removed his helmet, standing right next to her while looking at them.

"W-What about it? Wanna fight?" Caules questioned, nervous at her. Despite her looks, he knew that both she and her companion were dangerous due to the mere fact that both of them were Servants.

"Not at all. As Ruler, I am sworn to an oath of neutrality." She replied with a smile.

That caught the attention of all three by surprise. They hadn't expected to meet Ruler, otherwise known as Jeanne d'Arc, out in the streets today.

"Heh~" Rider smiled as he got a good look at both. "So you're Ruler~? Nice to meet you, I am Astolfo, otherwise you can call me Rider of Black."

"H-Hey!" Caules began.

"What is it?" The pinkette stated. "She is Ruler after all, so she probably knows our true names already."

"That may be, but still...!" The glasses wearing boy said but was ignored by Rider as he focused his attention towards Ruler's companion.

"If she's Ruler, then that makes you Saber right?" He asked. "Saber of Black's Master told us all about you last night."

"Indeed. It is an honor to meet you, Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne."

"No, no, it's an honor to meet you King of Knights." Rider replied as he and Saber shook hands. "Compared to you, I am but a mere speck."

"A mere speck?" The blonde knight began with a smile. "Do not belittle yourself. I, myself, am not that great. Right now, we are both Servants. That makes the both of us equals."

"Haha! A humble man you are, a fine trait if I may say." The pinkette nodded at this while Caules couldn't help but stare a little in awe of Saber. It couldn't be helped. After all, King Arthur was one of the most famous heroes to ever exist in the world. Suffice it to say, he was feeling a little bit of a fanboy at the moment.

Berserker on the other hand remained silent as she stared at Ruler with a somewhat intense look in her eyes, something that her Master noticed.

 _"Something the matter Berserker?"_

 _"Nothing. It just that..."_ Berserker began. _"That Ruler... was she born that beautiful? It makes me irritated..."_

"Hmm... now then." Rider began. "Might I ask what brings the two of you out here? Are you perhaps on a date?"

That got a reaction out of Ruler as her face went slightly red, her mouth somewhat agape at Rider of Black's words.

"It's nothing of the sort." Saber replied as he held up a shopping bag. "We're merely running errands for the people who allowed the two of us to stay with them for the time being. It would be rude of us to just freeload after all."

It was at that point Saber noticed Jeanne staring at him, an annoyed look on her face for some reason. When she saw him turn his head in her direction, she quickly faced the other way as soon as he did much to his own confusion.

 _"Didn't you want to ask them something?"_

The Knight asked telepathically, and that caused the young Saint to perk up.

"Ah, that's right." She began, looking directly at Caules. "Excuse me, but I would like to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Have the Masters of Black decided to agree to the ceasefire I've stated? I haven't actually found out if you all have yet."

"Is that all this is?" The young man sighed somewhat. "Grandfather Darnic agreed to the ceasefire. I think he already sent a message to the Red Faction."

"I see, that is good to hear." Ruler nodded. "Then here is my second question. I request to meet with this man Darnic if possible. He is your leader correct?"

"More or less. Why?"

"It's something that's somewhat confidential." Ruler stated. "In order to aid my investigation in regards to the strange events that have been plaguing the Holy Grail War, I must go to the source of it all in the first place."

Caules immediately knew what she was referring to. For a good few moments, the young man was deep in thought.

"I don't really see why not." The young man replied. "But I'm going to have to take this up with Grandfather first before anything else."

"I suppose it's better than nothing." Ruler sighed to herself. "But I thank you nonetheless for your cooperation. We shall visit your castle tomorrow morning for an answer. Let's go Saber, the Sister is waiting for us." The blonde turned around as and began walking

"Right." Saber nodded, and after one last look at the trio and thanking them for their time, the duo left on the motorcycle.

Soon after they left, Caules sat on the ground as he let out a relieved sigh.

"Man that was intense...!"

"How pathetic you are Master, collapsing from just a meeting like that~" Berserker teased.

"Shut up, I'm not a superhuman like you people. I may be a magus, but that means little compared to you Servants." The young man retorted.

* * *

"Did that go as well as you expected it too?"

"I think so."

Speeding down the streets heading back to the church with their purchases, both Jeanne and Saber decided to converse in order to pass the time.

"Hmm? Is something the matter Saber?" The young Saint asked as she looked closely to see her Servant in thought.

"It's nothing. It's just a small matter that's been bothering me."

"What is it?"

"Rider of Black... " Saber began, his tone full of uncertainty. "He's male correct?"

"Eh?"

Now that she thought about it, she herself didn't know. When she read Rider of Black's stats and information using her abilities as Ruler, the one piece of information regarding his gender was unavailable for some strange reason although everything was clear as day to her.

Technically speaking, Astolfo is regarded as male in most texts and stories that involve him. But the Rider of Black they met looked very much like a teenage girl, especially with the outfit said pinkette wore. His voice was also quite androgynous on its own, and that didn't help matters at all.

"I actually don't know..." She answered honestly.

"Hmm... such are the mysteries of our world."

* * *

Later during the afternoon, near sunset...

 _'Damn it all, where could he be...!?'_

Standing on a rooftop surveying the city was Saber of Red, her face being that of annoyance and rage at having yet found her target.

 _'In a small city such as this, he can't hide forever!'_

Hours had passed since she arrived at the city, she left behind the her Master's car and decided to search by foot. After all, she would have been limited by such a thing if she were to use it to traverse the streets.

Soon day turned into night, and that allowed her to move more freely.

"Saber!"

She quickly turned around and saw her Master and Gray being carried by none other than Lancer of Red, the green-haired man jumping from rooftop-to-rooftop before landing atop the one she stood on.

"Yo!" Lancer greeted as both people he had been carrying got off and stood on their own two feet. Her Master was looking at her with an unamused expression on his face, his arms crossed and one of his feet tapping the floor beneath him.

"Tch. What do you all want?" Saber of Red clicked her tongue as she looked at the trio.

"What do...? Why you little, you can't just run off on your own dammit!" Kairi began. "I get that you and your old man have your issues, but you can't just-"

"Don't talk like you know anything!" Saber exclaimed, causing her Master to step back somewhat. "Right now, I care no not for the Grail. My only desire is to seek out my father."

"And then what? The two of you fight to the death just like last time?" He asked. "Don't be stupid, Ruler wouldn't allow such a thing!"

"Should she interfere then I shall personally take care of her myself. I will not allow anything to stand in my way, not her, and certainly not you Master." Saber of Red declared as Kairi groaned at his Servant's stubbornness.

Then again, that was to be expected with her personality.

"Come on, why don't you just let her do what she wants to do?" Lancer inquired.

"Do I even need to explain it?"

"I get that Ruler might be a problem, but unless Saber deals with this thing of hers, she won't be able to focus on anything else later." The green-haired man simply stated, and Kairi found logic in his words. "Besides, women get cranky when they don't get what they want."

Hearing this, Saber of Red glared at Lancer rather viciously. When he noticed this, a confused look appeared on his face before realizing what his mistake was.

"Ahahaha, sorry about that. I forgot about what you said. It won't happen again, I swear!" He laughed. Seeing this, the blonde-haired knight merely crossed her arms in response as she directed her attention back towards her Master. She would deal with Lancer some other time.

"Ah geez... damn it all to hell." Kairi cursed as he massaged the back of his neck. "Fine, you get your wish. But, keep away from Ruler. Maybe we can just ask her to let you and your old man duke it out or something. But let's do that tomorrow. I ain't spending the night searching the city."

Saber of Red smiled at this, satisfied and happy that her Master decided to let her be. Even if she would have to continue her search tomorrow, she would still get her desire to confront her father.

"But first of all, before I help you search, where the hell did you park my car?"

"Ah..."

She had completely forgotten about that, being caught up in her search after all.

* * *

The following morning both Jeanne and Saber once more borrowed the Sister's motorcycle for themselves, making their way towards the Yggdmillennia Castle as promised by the former in order to meet with the Black Faction's leader.

"Sister Petresia is such a kind person to lend us her own personal vehicle." Jeanne stated as she sat behind Saber just like earlier that day.

"Indeed. She even stated that she was willing to give it to us since she doesn't actually use it all that much anymore." The male blonde added. "This should make travelling much more convenient wouldn't you say?"

His Master nodded in response, and it wasn't too long before they arrived at their destination.

Much like how it was from a distance, the castle where the Black Faction resided was quite impressive, especially up close.

"Miss Ruler, I take it?" A young woman asked as she came up to them. She had white hair and red eyes, and there was an unnatural beauty surrounding her. That indicated that the person in front of them was most likely a homunculus.

Hearing her title being called, Jeanne nodded in response as she got off the motorcycle. She then materialized her armor over her as she did so.

"On behalf of Lord Darnic, I welcome you to the Castle of Yggdmillennia. Our Lord has been expecting you as per your request to meet with him at this time." She said. "Come, I shall take you to him posthaste."

"Thank you." The young Saint nodded as both she and Saber followed the homunculus into the castle.

* * *

As the outside architecture implied, the insides of the Castle were quite large. Saber was reminded somewhat of the hallways he walked through back in his own Castle at Camelot. Though compared to the one owned by the Black Faction, his castle was more quaint and less decorative.

Climbing up the castle stairway, they eventually entered a throne room where two individuals stood before them. Both were men, one with blue hair and the other with pale blonde hair and a goatee. The latter was clearly a Servant.

The former was also staring at Saber with an unreadable expression, something the Knight caught but did not choose say anything.

Also, in the corner of the room stood two other Servants. One was none other than Saber of Black, who nodded in acknowledgement of their presence. The other was a green haired man with a tail, and Jeanne was able to identify him as Archer of Black, and his true identity was Chiron, the centaur of Greek Mythology who served as a mentor to a number of Greek Heroes.

"Ah, it's an honor to finally meet you Ruler, or should I say Lady Jeanne d'Arc?" The man with pale hair spoke.

Jeanne wasn't really surprised by the mention of her true name. Had she decided to keep it hidden, the Masters of Red and Black might have chosen to not trust her at all.

"And to you as well, Vlad III." She replied, identifying him on the spot.

The man who was nicknamed **Vlad the Impaler** by his enemies. He was particularly ruthless towards his foes, to the point that thanks to his reputation, he became the model for fictional character known as Dracula, a vampire whose own name was rather famous throughout the modern world.

"So are truly able to know my name at a glance, truly you are of the Ruler-Class." Vlad spoke with a regal air. "But please, simply refer to me as Lancer. I am but a Servant now after all. And might I say that it pleases me to know that the mediator of the Holy Grail War is someone who believes in the same God as I."

"Since I believe in God, I pray that I can convey to you that I aim to be fair and impartial." The young Saint said in response.

Lancer of Black responded to this with a smile, and Jeanne felt like she knew his thoughts of her to be that of a somewhat foolish and naive girl. It was also at that point the man beside Lancer step forward.

"It is an honor to meet you as well Lady Jeanne d'Arc, mediator of this Holy Grail War." He began as he took a bow. "I am Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, I am the head of my clan and I now serve as the Master of Lord Vlad."

Arthur stared at the man briefly in wonder. So _he_ was the Master of Lancer?

"I see, you must be the one that young man spoke of yesterday." Jeanne replied. "I trust you can guess why I am here?"

"Indeed, you wish to see the Greater Grail correct?" Darnic said in response as he smiled at her. It was a smile that wasn't that of friendliness, but rather that of slight hostility, something both Jeanne and Saber picked up on.

"Yes, that is indeed why I am here." The young Saint replied once more. "I trust it won't be much of a problem? As Ruler, I only intend to use it to answer a few questions that I need answering in order to aid my investigation. I have no intention of using it for my own personal gain."

Hearing that, Lancer of Black frowned somewhat.

"Tell me something Ruler," He began. "Is it true that you have no wish you want granted? You were summoned by the Grail were you not? Surely you must have something you want granted."

At this, Saber became somewhat curious. During his time with his Master, he had yet to actually ask the same thing to her.

"No, I have none." She simply stated much to the surprise of most in the room. "After all, a requirement to be summoned as Ruler-Class Servant is to have no wishes one wants granted in the present age. Had your Master not told you this yet?"

At that, an angry expression appeared on Lancer's face as he looked at Ruler directly in the eye.

"Do not play games with me Jeanne d'Arc!" He exclaimed. "I know of your final moments in life. You, who was abandoned and betrayed by your country, and was burned at the stake cannot possibly have no wishes you want granted! Answer me honestly, less I have you-"

"Should you lay a finger on her Lancer, you shall answer to me." Saber declared while brandishing his armor on the spot while pointing Excalibur wrapped by Invisible Air directly at the pale haired man.

At this, both Saber of Black and Archer of Black responded by drawing their own weapons just in case. Darnic took a step back, worried at the possibility of a fight breaking out within the room. Lancer himself looked between both amused and somewhat taken aback by the action.

"Saber, please lower your sword." Jeanne commanded softly.

It took a few good moments, but Saber did as ordered as he stepped back away from Lancer, the pale haired man began laughing slightly to himself as he did.

"Hehehe... my apologies Ruler. I did not intend to react the way I did." He spoke while eyeing Saber. "It seems my killing intent caused your Servant to react badly as well."

"Your apology is unnecessary Lancer, it was only natural for you to react like that." She stated in response. "And to answer your earlier question, I truly have no wish. People say that I should regret my last moments, that it would be natural for me to want to take revenge for what had happened or wished to be saved."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"However, it is enough for me to know that the life I lived was my own, and that I have no regrets about it. If I were to have a wish as a Servant, then it would be only for the Holy Grail War to be conducted properly."

"And you would say this despite being someone who was abandoned by God? Whose prayers were never answered?"

"Who is to say he did abandon me? Or anyone else for that matter?" Jeanne countered. "To say such a thing is foolishness to begin with. The Lord has never forsaken anyone, not once. There was simply nothing he could do."

Saber noted with surprise on how strong his Master's belief in her God was, but perhaps that was to be expected of someone who was called a Saint.

"And I also believe you are mistaken somewhat Lancer. Praying, giving offerings, everything is an act not for oneself, but for the Lord. We pray in order to heal the Lord's laments and sorrow."

Even before she took up arms, this was something she believed in.

The Lord lamented in sorrow. His children kept on creating wars and conflicts, causing pointless bloodshed throughout the land. Causing it to become something akin to, no, perhaps the better description was that it was already hell itself.

She had heard his laments back then, something that everyone else around her failed to hear.

She presented herself with a choice. She knew that responding to the Lord's cries would mean throwing away her old life to the wind. She would no longer be the simple village girl she had lived as for most of her young life, and she would no longer be able to experience the joy of loving someone and being loved back, having a family of her own and whatnot. And she knew that in the end, there would be no compensation for her deeds if she followed that path. Both enemies and allies alike would scorn her in the end. It was a terrifying thing for someone like her to consider at the time.

However, she just couldn't turn away from the Lord's cries.

She would fight back against the hell that presented itself before her in order to soothe the Lord's tears. Everything in her being told her that despite it's end not being great, this path was surely the correct one to follow. Thus, the she clad herself in armor and hanged a sword on her waist, carrying her flag in his name.

"Hmm, I see." Lancer of Black responded with his arms crossed. "I thank you for answering my question. I could feel the sincerity in your words."

Despite saying that, a displeased look appeared on Lancer's face. He noted that despite believing in the same God, Jeanne d'Arc was someone he would not be able to get along with in the long run.

"Darnic," He spoke towards the blue-haired man. "Allow Ruler to access to the Grail, she is someone we can trust for now."

"My thanks for your cooperation." Jeanne bowed her head slightly. Darnic then motioned for her to follow him, and she did so with Saber right behind her.

"I do have one condition though." Lance spoke up as he turned away, walked, and then sat on the throne at the back of the room. "Saber of Black and Archer of Black, they are to accompany you while you do so. While I trust you, the King of Knights is someone I'm not entirely sure of yet. After all, just because you don't have any wishes doesn't mean the same will apply to him."

"You insult me Lancer." Saber replied as he turned around to face the pale-haired man. "I have already sworn fealty to her, as both her Servant and as a Knight. Any personal desire I have is of little value in comparison to that oath."

"Hmph, as expected of a Knight." Lancer commented with a smirk. "You have chosen well Ruler. To have summoned the King of Knights as your Servant, truly there could be no other choice for a loyal subordinate."

"No, I do not view him as my subordinate. Rather, he is my partner." Jeanne replied, directing a small smile towards Saber in the process, one which the White Knight returned once he noticed it.

With that, the trio left the room together with Saber of Black and Archer of Black right behind them.

* * *

"May I ask you something Ruler?" Darnic began as he lead the group throughout the Castle.

"Depending on your question, you may." Jeanne simply replied.

"Have you found anything in regards to those two stray Servants that you and your Servant, fought against?" He asked. "I have to admit, while fourteen Servants being summoned is something unexpected, I partially foresaw it as possibility due to the leylines in Trifas being powerful enough to allow for such an event. However, the same cannot be said for those two Servants you encountered."

"I'm afraid I still know very little in regards to both of them. I actually spent yesterday as a period of rest." The blonde stated. "What I do know is that those Servants aren't the only ones I've encountered. Two others attacked me back in England, just before I summoned Saber in order to help me deal with them."

"Yes, Gordes did mention them last night." The blue-haired man crossed his arms. "Do you perhaps know of their identities? As Ruler, you should be able to identify any Servant you lay your eyes upon."

For a few moments, Jeanne remained quiet as she began thinking. Should she perhaps inform the Master's of Black their identities? After all, she wouldn't really be breaking any rules in regards to her neutrality since she could sense that the four Servants lacked a connection to the Grail and to herself by extension. Her oath only really applied to the conflict that would occur between the Red and Black factions.

"I suppose I can tell you their names." She began. "First, is Lancer. His true identity is Karna. He happens to be quite powerful, so I urge you and your allies to keep your guard up."

The name alone piqued Darnic's interest as his eyes widened slightly. It seemed like he knew of Karna's legend.

"The second one is Archer. Her true name is Atalanta."

"Truly? The Chaste Huntress has been summoned?" Archer spoke up for the first time since the arrival of Ruler and Saber. "It would be an honor to do battle against her."

"I suppose that's natural of you to think so. The two of you do come from the same lands after all." Darnic commented. He also wondered if Caster knew about her old comrade as well. Given her observational abilities, it was very likely she knew.

"The third one is also an Archer-Class Servant. His name is Robin Hood, he is one of the two Servants who attacked me in England."

"Robin Hood?" Saber inquired.

If there was a Hero in England that was perhaps as well known as King Arthur, it was none other than Robin Hood. A dashing rogue who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. He was something more akin to a folk hero compared to someone like Saber.

"Yes, however, apparently there are several people in history and legend who have taken the name of Robin Hood for themselves. Archer is just one of those many people." The young Saint added.

 _'Hmm... so he's a case similar to Hassan-I-Sabbah then? Interesting.'_ The blue-haired man thought.

"And finally, there's Berserker. He is..." She spoke but paused, glancing at Saber as she did so without the young man's notice.

"My apologies. Due to Berserker's abilities, I was unable to identify him properly." Jeanne stated instead. She was still unsure if she should reveal the identity of Berserker to Saber already or if she should do so later.

"I see. I suppose that can't be helped." Darnic said as he and the group came to a stop at a door. "We are here."

* * *

"So... this is the Greater Grail?"

Saber spoke as he laid his eyes upon the circular object that floated in the middle of the room the group stood in. It looked like nothing he had imagined it to be.

"Yes, as I was a Master from the Grail War sixty years ago, I was able to catch a glimpse of the original before it was destroyed. Though merely an imitation of the one from sixty years ago, I made some improvements of my own. I take it you are impressed, Saber?"

Once more, the blue-haired man stared at Saber with a smile on his face, though perhaps the proper description was that he was smirking. Jeanne noticed this, and noted there was something strange regarding Darnic's behavior when he spoke to Saber. She was also surprised by the revelation that he had participated in a previous Holy Grail War before, but said fact didn't actually bother her all that much.

Choosing to ignore Darnic, Saber turned to face his Master, the young Saint somewhat in trance at seeing the Grail herself.

"Master?" He asked.

"Eh?" She cried out in surprise. "Ah, I'm sorry. I was distracted for a moment."

"That's alright. Now then, what shall you be doing here?"

"If all goes well, I'll lay my hand on it and see if it gives me the information I seek."

"That's not exactly something that's assuring to me as your Servant." Saber countered.

There were too many unknowns with this imitation Grail. What if it was a trap, that the Black Masters were allied with the Rogue Servants? He had stated such an idea towards Jeanne yesterday after getting back to the church, but the young woman was insistent on going to them for answers since they had the Grail in their possession.

"I'll be alright Saber, have a little faith in me alright?"

Seeing her smiling at him while asking that, Saber sighed to himself as he relented to her request.

Stepping forward, Jeanne made her way towards the Greater Grail. Soon, she came to a stop as she stood right in front of it. A few moments later, the young Saint extended her hand and placed it upon the Grail.

"...!"

A bright light enveloped her vision in its entirety, and she could faintly hear Saber calling out to her for some reason.

* * *

 _"Eh...?"_

 _Jeanne stood in the middle of a white void. She looked around herself and saw nothing. Everything was an empty space..._

 _"Ah, it looks like you've arrived."_

 _She quickly turned around as she heard a voice call out to her._

 _There, she saw a person with long white hair standing before her wearing similarly colored robes._

 _If there was one word to describe the person before her, it was that they were beautiful. There was an otherworldly feel to their appearance, one that basically confirmed for Jeanne that the person before her was of magical origin. The young saint also couldn't tell if the person before her was either a man or a woman._

 _And for some reason, she felt as though she had already seen him somewhere before... but she couldn't tell when or where._

 _"You are... the Grail?"_

 _"Hahaha...! Me, the Grail? Not at all. But I am connected to you in a way."_

 _The person before her laughed, speaking with such a tone that Jeanne still couldn't tell what the gender of the person before her was._

 _Then again, perhaps it didn't really matter._

 _"Then, if you're not the grail then who are you...?"_

 _"Ah, that is the question now isn't it?" They spoke as a smile grew on their face. "However, to ask such things is not your purpose for today. So how about we get down to business already shall we? You can't keep Arthur waiting after all~"_

 _"H-Huh?"_

 _With that, the avatar suddenly appeared right in front of the young saint and then placed a finger over her forehead._

 _"For now, just call me an Avatar of sorts." The person spoke. "And my apologies, but this may cause some discomfort thanks to your human body."_

 _...!_

 _"A-Argh...!"_

 _A stinging sensation surged from Jeanne's head as the avatar touched her._

 _"As much as I would like to help you, the aid I can give is limited due to circumstances. However, I can at least point you in the right direction..."_

 _Something was flowing directly into her mind. It was information, about the history of Grail itself, about the current Servants taking part in the Great Holy Grail War, and about the Masters involved as well. So many images filled her mind..._

 _...And one person among the fourteen stood out as unique to her._

 _"Also, here's a little present from you to me." The Avatar said, placing a hand over her shoulder. "Due to a mishap, you lost this privilege of yours did you not? I believe it's time to restore that less something unfortunate happen wouldn't you agree?"_

 _A pulsing sensation came from each of her Command Spells, and Jeanne quickly realized what that meant._

 _"Ah, before you go. Please tell Arthur I said hello."_

 _"W-Wait...!"_

 _Jeanne tried reaching out to the Avatar, only for it to end in vain as the young saint's vision was swept up in darkness._

* * *

"Ugh..."

Slowly opening her eyes, Jeanne saw an unfamiliar ceiling above her and when she turned her head, she saw Saber looking at her quite relieved.

"Thank goodness, you've finally woke up." He said.

"Saber...?" Jeanne began slowly. "What happened...?"

"You suddenly collapsed the moment you laid your hand on the Grail. The Masters of Black were kind enough to offer us the use of this room while you slept." Saber replied with a concerned look on his face. "What happened exactly? Do you have any idea?"

"Ugh... please give me a moment. My head is spinning." She groaned as she placed both of her hands on her head. Whatever happened gave her a bad headache!

"Let's see, after I collapsed... I think I was able to do what we came here to do."

"Really?" Saber inquired.

"Yes. I came into contact with what I think was the grail itself or an avatar of it." She replied. "It placed a hand on my head, and information began flowing through it. With that, I was able to get a clue in regards to the strange events that have been occurring. There's someone responsible for it, but thanks to the information being not all that clear, I can only assume it at the moment."

"Really? Does this person have a name?"

"Yes. His name is-"

"Ruler~!" The door suddenly opened and their stood a familiar pinkette. "I heard you were recovering here, so I decided to visit~!"

Both looked at him with equally surprised faces, but smiled as they felt the sincerity behind Rider of Black's words. They also noticed a homunculus standing behind him, a female one at that. Her was styled in a unique twin-tailed fashion.

"Ah, let me introduce you! This is my friend Alzir. She didn't have a name before, so I decided to give her one she liked!"

"Greetings." The homunculus girl said as she bowed.

"I was going to bring along someone else too, but that person is busy with Caster unfortunately." He muttered in disappointment before a wide grin appeared. "At any rate, let's chat for a while shall we? I've been meaning to ask you and Saber a few things now and I can't help myself anymore~!"

With that, Astolfo began to chat casually with the duo. Their topic from earlier being temporarily forgotten as the young paladin began bombard them to questions that range from the trivial to the rather personal.

* * *

Later after exchanging a few words with Darnic and Lancer, both Jeanne and Saber left the Yggdmillennia Castle and rode back towards the Church they were currently lodging at. Rider waved them goodbye as they did so, and both noted Astolfo truly did live up to his name as someone who was eternally optimistic from the way he spoke to each of them earlier.

It was by that time Jeanne realized how much time had passed since she collapsed and fainted. They arrived at the Castle sometime in the morning, and now it was already sunset.

"Are you sure you're quite alright?" Saber asked once more.

"I am. thank you for asking."

"What did you see during your vision? Is there anything in particular worth mentioning?"

"Hmm... now that I think about it, there was someone in it." She began as memories that event came back to her. "This is the same person I told you about earlier about, the one who I thought was an avatar of the Grail."

"Did this avatar say something of note other than the information it gave you?"

"My privilege as Ruler was restored, so that's something." The young saint replied, causing her companion to look surprised.

If that was the case, then the two of them no longer had to worry too much about the Servants of Red and Black now that his Master's Command Spells were connected to each one of them once more. With it restored, they had a proper equalizer.

Still, Arthur wondered to himself as to why she lost the privilege in the first place. Was it due to the fact that she was possessing a human body or perhaps something else entirely? Such questions were driven away from his mind when his Master spoke out something that caught him off guard.

"Ah! Now I remember, you were also mentioned by name!"

"Me?" Saber asked.

"Yes. If I remember correctly, I was asked to greet you in their place." She added as he laid a hand on her head to try and remember. "Saber, do you think you know this person?"

"I'm not exactly a mind reader." The young man joked. "In the first place, what did this person look like?"

"My apologies, but I couldn't tell clearly if it was a man or woman." She stated. "The only thing I could remember clearly was that the person in my vision had long white hair and wore white robes... to be precise, I believe them to be a magus."

At this, Saber widened his eyes slightly as someone came to mind thanks to his Master's words.

 _'Could it be? No...'_

The last time he had heard from that person they had been trapped within a certain place and unable to escape. Did the magus managed to do so then? If so, what were they doing now? It was a question that might have seemed strange to others given how much time had passed since then. But to Arthur, he wouldn't have really been surprised if his old friend managed to find a way to live to this day.

The question presented now was... just what was his old friend doing?

"Saber?" Jeanne asked, noticing the sudden silence her Servant had taken on.

"It's nothing." He replied without missing a beat. "I just believe I have an idea of who that person you were talking about is."

"Really? Who is it?"

"I'm not too sure at the moment. There are some things that I'm trying to figure out first." He replied. "Once I do however, I promise I will tell you of it."

"Alright then, I know you will."

With that, both remained silent as they continued their ride towards the Church.

* * *

Jeanne and Saber soon arrived at the old building. Both soon put up their guards as they sensed something amiss. Everything around them was silent, to the point that both could only hear the footsteps and breaths they took.

"Do you feel that?" The latter asked.

"I do. There's a Servant inside." Jeanne replied as someone came out of the entrance.

Said someone was a man of moderate height. He had wild brown hair, wore sunglasses, and a leather jacket. Overall, he looked like a criminal, but both Master and Servant could not feel any sense of hostility coming from him.

"Hmm... it's about time you arrived Ruler." He spoke out. "We've been waiting for hours now. My name is Kairi Shishigou."

"You're a Master of the Red Faction, aren't you?" She inquired. "Might I ask why did you come here? And where are the people of this Church?"

"Don't worry about them, I just put a sleeping spell on them. And as to why I'm here, well it's nothing really personal. My Servant just has some business she wants settling with your Servant." He replied as both looked at him in surprise.

"Are you asking to fight against us?" She asked.

"No, just your Servant." He stated. "If my guess is right, a fight to the death so to speak."

"What? What makes you think that I would allow such a thing?" Jeanne said with an incredulous look on her face. "To attack my Servant is to attack me as well. I will not allow any threats made to him to go unchallenged by myself."

"I know, I know, but she's been really itching to fight your Saber lately ever since she found out about his identity." He replied once more, glancing at Saber as he continued to speak. "She won't obey my orders until she gets to settle the score with you I think."

"Settle the score with me?" Saber questioned.

It was at that moment that someone came out from behind Shishigou. Said person was none other than the Servant they had sensed.

Said Servant was a young woman, looking to be around Jeanne's physical age but younger. She had blonde hair tied into a messy ponytail and emerald green eyes. She wore a red jacket over a rather revealing ensemble. A smirk was on her face as she stared directly at Saber.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Father?" She spoke, saying the last word in a tone akin to a snarl.

 _'F-Father!?'_

Jeanne visibly recoiled at those words, looking back and forth between Saber and the girl. She realized that there was actually a passing resemblance between the two since both their hair and eye color were of the same shade.

The Knight himself was clearly taken aback by the girl's presence, it was like he had seen a ghost the moment he laid eyes on her. There was only one person in the world who could cause such a reaction in him and call him "Father" at the same time. And that person's name was spoken aloud by Saber.

"Mordred..."

It was a reunion between parent and child... the two whose lives were ended by one another.

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

And that wraps up Chapter 4, hope you guys all enjoyed it.

In case you guys are wondering, Alzir is a character in Fate/Apocrypha. She was featured in one of the illustrations for Volume 3, I think, where she, Jeanne, Astolfo are seen walking about in Trifas wearing casual clothes. And I never really planned on having Ruler's Command Spells being inert all the time. I just made it that way as part of the excuse to get her to the Trifas Grail early on as well as introducing the one who appeared in the grail vision, which I think some of you will be able to guess who it was.

The meeting with Vlad and the text about Jeanne in that part was more or less taken/inspired from the same events that happened in F/A Volume 2. The main difference is that my version happened earlier than the novel version and under different circumstances. I felt the need to include it since it somewhat sums up Jeanne as a person in my eyes. Next time the reunion between father and daughter continues! Look forward to it!

And as always, please read and review :D


	5. Act I-5: Battle Frenzy

_**AN: And here's CH5 of the Fate/Magnus Bellum. I hope you guys like it. Please read and review.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5:**_

 ** _Battle Frenzy_**

* * *

 _The King of Knights..._

 _Ever since she was little, she heard tales of the legendary King who ruled Britain from his palace in Camelot. People around her, both old and young, and even ally and enemy alike, revered and thought of him as the greatest King there could and ever will be._

 _So too did she. She also believed that King Arthur was the greatest there was, that no one could ever hope to match him. And because of that belief, she came to wish that she could become just like him._

 _After all, was it not natural for children to believe that their parents were the greatest people in the world? And to desire to become just like them once they were of age?_

 _Her father was none other the legendary Knight King himself, something she took great pride in once she found out. Although despite this fact, he did not know of her existence, nor did her mother ever decide to reveal her to him in the first place._

 _"Hide your true self, never reveal it to anyone... not until the time is right."_

 _Her mother told her those words for as long as she could remember. She thought to herself, why? Why would she bother hiding her true lineage?_

 _For a time she thought about this herself, and came to the conclusion that it was because she was different compared to normal people._

 _Why was she different? Because unlike normal people who take at least twenty years to become full adults, she became one in less of a decade. Such abnormality could only be attributed to magic, and as such, she people would try to deny her existence because of it. While magic at the time was not uncommon, it was still something that caused people to be wary, which was especially the case for the lesser folk._

 _Because of this, she also felt ashamed of herself due to the circumstances of her birth and growth, and was envious of normal people as a result. She became an adult in a short time, never having a proper childhood like most children would._

 _And so she obeyed her mother, hiding her face behind a helmet, all the while training to become an ideal knight just like her father. Her mother told her that as the King's eldest child, she was destined to succeed him. With such knowledge given to her, she worked and trained even harder._

 _If she managed to prove herself and become one who would be able to stand among the Knights of the Round Table, then perhaps her father would acknowledge her despite her abnormal origins and upbringing. This was something she sincerely believed in..._

 _This was her beginning..._

* * *

 ***CLANG***

The sounds of metal clashing against one another echoed throughout the moonlit night as two Servants battled against one another throughout the streets of Trifas. And said two Servants were none other than Saber and Saber of Red.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

Sparks flew as sword met sword. Excalibur, in all of its glory, clashed against Clarent, the ceremonial blade Saber had used before but was stolen by Mordred for her own use. Despite the latter being a blade of lesser quality, it was able to stand its ground against the Sword of Promised Victory.

Seeing a chance, Saber then swung his sword in a downward diagonal strike.

 ***SLASH***

His opponent countered with an upward strike of her own, causing both blades too bounce off one another. This caused the male to flinch at the force of the blow and for the female warrior to smirk at she saw this.

"Hah...!"

She swung her sword horizontally, aiming to bisect her foe.

"Tch...!"

 ***THWACK***

Timing it just right, the young man crouched down to the ground before kicking the flat side of the blade upwards. Saber of Red widened her eyes at this in surprise, but quickly regained her focus as her father got up and swung his sword at her once more.

 ***SLASH***

Avoiding his strike, the blow was strong enough to leave a short mark on the ground with pure force. Seeing this, she couldn't help but smirk.

"Hah!"

Mordred stepped forward with an audible burst, quickly coming up in front of her father as she swung her sword down on him, the latter of which after seeing this countered with his own burst and locked blades with her.

"Excellent! Most excellent father!" She cried out with a smile on her face. "I see that siding with that woman hasn't dulled your skills at all!"

"Stop calling me father," Saber coolly replied. "Never have I been one to you..."

At those words, the female blonde's eyes narrowed rather dangerously as she glared at her father, the smirk on her face disappearing as it turned into a frown and she began gritting her teeth.

"Indeed... indeed you have not!" She roared.

Saber suddenly found himself being pushed back as Mordred forced her blade against him. This caused the Knight to release himself from their lock, sidestepping out her way, before taking action once more.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

Sparks flew once more as they exchanged blows with one another. Though it was obvious that the former was a far more skilled swordsman than his opponent, Mordred was able to keep up with him through the use of sheer strength and determination.

"Hah!"

 ***CLANG***

Swinging his blade hard, Excalibur bounced off Clarent with an audible echo and caused Mordred to flinch. Saber followed up with a second swing aimed directly for her sword arm. Anticipating this, Mordred dodged slightly to the left as the blade grazed her gauntlet.

"Tch...!" She stepped back.

"Not yet!"

"...!?"

Just when she thought she had time to gather her wits, Saber came charging forth with a burst and Excalibur raised above his head.

 ***SLASH***

He swung down, causing Mordred to once more dodge to the side. The White Knight followed up with a secondary swing which the Knight in Red countered. A third follow-up occurred as both locked blades once more.

* * *

 _'Saber...'_

Overseeing both not too far away, Jeanne watched the duo as they fought with a sad look in her eyes. Even now, she couldn't believe the situation escalated as fast as it did.

Just after having confirmed her identity, Mordred quickly materialized her armor and sword before attacking. Saber himself did the same as her, summoning his own arsenal and quickly countering the former blonde's assault.

Seeing this, she tried to get both to stop what they were doing only to be silenced when Mordred demanded that she stay out of it. It also didn't help that Saber politely asked her to stay out of it, as it was something he had to deal with as himself rather as the Servant of Ruler.

From then on, both quickly moved about the city, and the rest is history as they say.

"Geez, talk about your messy family reunions..." The Master of Mordred muttered stood alongside her as they watched the two Saber-Class Servants duke it out. "I've never seen Saber like that even when Archer called her a little girl."

The young saint turned to look at him with a frown on her face.

"You do realize that everything that happens here is your responsibility correct?" She began. "As Saber of Red's Master, it's your responsibility to watch over and control your Servant."

"I know, I know," Kairi replied while sighing to himself. "But the problem is she wouldn't have listened to me until I agreed to let her fight her old man. I have to say though... I expected someone a little older looking. King Arthur looks more like her older brother than her father."

At this, Jeanne merely turned her attention back towards the two other blondes in response. Though she too agreed with Saber of Red, or rather, Mordred's Master in regards to the White Knight's rather youthful look. Because of said appearance, it was somewhat strange to refer to him and her as parent and child.

Perhaps it was due to the Grail summoning Saber in the form where he was in his prime? That was the most logical conclusion she could come to. Either way, it didn't really matter in the end thanks to the current situation.

She only prayed that the fight would end soon, otherwise she would have to force her hand to end things before they escalated even further.

 _'Still, for two people who are parent and child to be fighting like this... it just doesn't feel right.'_

As someone who grew up under the care of a loving family, Jeanne was one who believed that family should always get along. Indeed, fights between family members would happen. That was something to be expected. But she got along quite well with her father and mother, and both were supportive of her when she chose to take up arms despite it being something that was out of the question for a farm girl like her.

Seeing the situation of both Saber, no, Arthur and Mordred she could not help but feel sorry for the two of them. Perhaps they could make up at one point? Such an idea felt distant though, especially with how strong the latter's rage was towards the former. She could feel it just from watching them fight each other.

"...!"

Jeanne quickly looked around her surroundings as she felt a familiar sensation come over her.

 _'Another one? Just where...?'_

* * *

"Hmm... so Saber of Red is attacking Ruler's Servant is she?"

Inside a room and seated upon a chair drinking Japanese tea was Shirou Kotomine. Behind him was Assassin of Red, the latter's hands both laid upon the shoulders of her Master as she replied to his statement.

"Indeed, and according to what our observer have gathered thus far, she refers to him as her father of all things. And there also seems to be bad blood between the two of them as Saber of Red attacked him right after revealing herself."

"That does not come off as a surprise considering who both of them are after all." He replied as a smile came on to his face as he set the tea cup in his hands down on the table in front of him.

"The Knight of Treachery, Mordred. And the King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon." Shirou began, speaking aloud the identities of both Servants. "Such a twist of fate the Holy Grail has brought about. Perhaps King Arthur would be someone who is willing to hear us out on our little endeavor..."

"Oh? You plan on bringing him into the fold then?" Assassin asked with an amused smile. "You do realize that as a Knight, he wouldn't think about betraying the one he has sworn to protect. Especially for the Knight who was known as the King of Knights after all."

"True, but although he may be a Knight, he was also a King. A King whose kingdom fell to ruin at the end of his reign where many of his knights and subjects perished during the final battle." He replied. "If we can persuade him, perhaps he would care to join us. If my guess as to what his wish for the Grail would be is correct, then it would be to his benefit to do so."

"Perhaps you are correct." Assassin mused. "Though whether or not you are remains to be seen. It will be somewhat amusing to see how things unfold on the other hand. For now though, what shall we do next? Perhaps we can-"

"Ah, here you are Master!"

A British-accented voice spoke out as the door to the room opened. There stood a man wearing green 15th century clothing akin to what a nobleman would wear. He had short brown hair and eyes, a full beard on his face.

"Caster, is there something you need?" Shirou asked. The man in front of him was none other than Caster of Red.

Assassin's eyes narrowed in annoyance as he entered the room and Shirou had an amused smile on his face as he saw this. From the moment they met, Assassin had something of a dislike for Caster. His talks about how he and the others were nothing more than characters living out a story got on her nerves. Shirou himself didn't know if Caster was like this by nature or if he was intentionally just trying to mess with his colleagues through his words.

Because of that, he actually had to ask Caster to behave before Assassin, or anyone of their allies, decided to attack him. The man complied with this order, but still maintained himself as he always did, only now he was more subdued.

Answering Shirou's earlier question, Caster walked up and placed a thick book onto the table where he sat at.

"Is this..."

The title printed upon the book cover was "The Works of William Shakespeare".

"A collection of my works!" Caster declared with a smile. "You have told me before that you have yet to actually read any of my works no? Now you have the perfect opportunity to catch up on what you missed good sir."

The words he had spoken alone, and perhaps along with the fact that he had a book with him that his own name printed as part of its title, would tell any person as to who the Caster-Class Servant really was.

William Shakespeare, one of the most famous playwrights in history. He was particularly famous for the play known as Hamlet, which he wrote the script for.

However, there was one thing that was bothering Shirou at the moment. He knew for a fact that he didn't own the book Caster had placed in front of him. That could only mean one thing, and Assassin beat him to the punch as she spoke.

"You buffoon... Did you actually go into the city and buy a collection of your own works?"

"But of course! O Queen of Assyria, our Master lives in the modern world. Yet he revealed to me that he has yet to read any one of my works! I find that to be quite sad no?"

"No." Assassin replied, and Shirou firmly agreed. While he didn't actually mind Caster's eccentricities unlike Assassin did, he did admit it was tiring to bear witness to. There was only so much a person could take after all.

"Anyway Caster, did you need something?" The white-haired young man asked. "I take it you didn't just come here to have me read that book?"

"Ah yes, about that." Caster began, his tone becoming somewhat more formal. "I am afraid that there has been a slight problem that recently just occurred regarding our dear friend Berserker."

"A problem?" Shirou asked before he realized something. "Wait, which Berserker are you referring to?"

"Why none other than the Black Knight of course! It seems he had sensed what was happening between the King of Knights and his child. I believe he's already on his way towards the sight of the battle."

"What!?" Shirou stood up from his place.

"You fool..." Assassin began as she narrowed her eyes at the English Writer. "It's not that Berserker sensed the conflict between them, you leaked the information to him didn't you?"

"Ah, I made no such attempts." Caster declared. "I merely overheard you speaking about Saber of Red going into the city to find her father. Such a thought entertained me, so I began musing a ways on how to write such an event down on paper and into a story. Perhaps Berserker caught me in the act? Who could say~?"

"In other words, you did leak it." The young priest face-palmed, for there was no other way to emote the feeling he was having right now.

"Worry not Master, for I have asked Rider to keep an eye on our madman."

"Rider? Damn it all you mad writer, your actions may cost us both of them if Ruler and the Red Faction don't decide to put them down for good." Assassin reprimanded.

"No, the situation is still salvageable." Shirou suddenly spoke up. "Inform Rider to only interfere should it be necessary. Afterwards, he is to retreat alongside Berserker if the stakes become to high for either of them to handle."

"As you wish."

* * *

The battlefield for the two knights quickly shifted from the streets to an industrial section of the city. No civilians could be sensed by either, making both decide that where they were now was a perfect place to fight.

 ***SLASH***

"Guh...!"

Saber gritted his teeth as his opponent managed to slice his left arm, causing her to also smile in delight.

"What's the matter King Arthur? Am I proving to be too much of a challenge for you to handle?"

"Tch...! Don't be foolish!"

 ***SLASH***

Using quick footwork, Saber dodged another incoming swing while countering with his own strike, sparks flying as blade met blade. Anyone watching from a distance could easily mistake their blade work for small fireworks going off in the night.

"Hah!"

 ***CLANG***

Saber countered another strike from his foe, the latter kept attacking him to no end. Such ferocity, he wouldn't have been surprised if she had been summoned under the Berserker-Class. It fitted her battle style quite easily.

Mordred came up once more and tried stabbing him with a single thrust. Twisting his body, the blade merely grazed and bounced off his armor.

 ***SLASH***

"Gah!"

The female blonde jumped back as she received a cut on her right sleeve. Looking up, she saw her father with a calm expression on his face while at the same time directing Excalibur towards her. Her blood was dripping down slightly from its blade.

"Is this not enough for you, Mordred?" He asked, causing her to blink before a scowl appeared on her face.

"Not yet! I will not admit defeat due to a mere flesh wound!" She retorted as she glared at the King of Knights.

"Do you still wish to continue? Your enemies from the Black Faction are surely watching this fight themselves." Saber added. "You're giving them insight to your own abilities the more we continue this bout."

"Hmph! As if any of them could stand against me. I'll easily crush anyone who comes my way!" Saber merely shook his head at this, and it was at this point that she realized something.

She had just noticed it. Even now, he still had that same damned look in his eyes. The very same look that he had when she announced to him her true lineage... And it was the same damned look that he directed towards her when they fought during the Battle of Camlann.

Cold and distant... it was akin to a dismissive look. This is what she felt whenever he looked at her back then and even now. It angered her to no end, as it was a reminder of why she hated her father as much as she did.

She also realized something else because of that look... why didn't she notice it earlier!?

"Just why is it..."

Saber raised a brow as she spoke quietly with her eyes downcast, which returned to stern look as Mordred glared right back at him full force.

"Why is it that you continue to hold back on me!?" She demanded, her honest outrage could be heard from her voice. "That day, on that hill where you and I fought to the death... I could tell, you never really took me seriously!"

At that, Saber visibly widened his eyes somewhat before turning his head away from her. It was an act that only served to rile Mordred up even more.

"And even now you continue to hold back on me... Do you truly believe me to be nothing but a mistake not even worth your time!?"

When her father did not immediately reply to her, continuing to face the other way, she took that as a cue to what his answer was. Gritting her teeth and tightly gripping her sword, she charged forward.

 ***CLANG***

She brought down Clarent upon her father, the White Knight parrying the blow with Excalibur. Red sparks beginning to emanate from the former's blade as she glared directly at him while continuing to speak.

"Answer me, King Arthur!"

* * *

"Hmm... this is proving to be quite an amusing sight to behold."

Standing atop a building observing the battle was Archer of Red and the other members of the Red Faction. Beside him, stood his young Master Reines, the girl was currently preoccupied watching the battle closely, as it was the first fight she had come to witness as a participant of the Holy Grail War.

Waver and Rider were intently watching it, taking note of the abilities and skills of both Saber-Class Servants. Lancer was watching the battle with an amused smile similar to Archer's, while his Master observed the battle quietly as well. It can be noted that she was particularly focused upon the White Knight.

"Tell me Reines, who do you believe has a chance of winning this bout?" Archer asked.

"Call me Master." She began with a disapproving look towards him. "If I had to take a guess though, I would say that Ruler's Servant has a better chance of winning. I may not be an expert in swordsmanship, but I can at least tell who has better skills between him and Saber."

"Indeed, however, the other little girl is quite aggressive. She could perhaps turn the tide of this battle if she kept pressing on."

"Hmm? That's strange Archer, I thought you and Saber didn't get along?" Reines inquired. "Have you come to respect her all of a sudden?"

"Of course not. That little girl is still at a level far beneath my own." Archer replied. "However, I will admit that such ferociousness has its benefits, and she's making use of her own quite nicely against the King of Knights. She actually resembles a beast I had to slay once. That was something of a troublesome fight."

"That said Archer, have you noticed it?"

Hearing the King of Conquerors speak, the Golden Archer turned to face him.

"That depends on what you are referring to Rider. Perhaps you are speaking of the rat that has also been watching the battle?"

He looked to the distance, directly at one specific building that was not too far from where the battle between both Sabers were taking place. There, he saw a figure cloaked in black keeping to himself while observing the fight. Thanks to said cloak, Archer could not make out if the observer was a man or a woman, especially thanks to the mask that the figure also wore.

However, from one glance alone, it was obvious that the person in the distance was another Servant.

"That guy is getting a front row seat of seeing Saber's abilities. Perhaps we should do something about it don't you think?"

"Hmph. Do as you please. I have no intention of wasting my time on rats cowardly enough to hide in the shadows."

"But isn't that what we're doing too?" Lancer added.

"Fool, there's a difference." Archer replied in annoyance. "Unlike the rat, we're not actually trying to conceal our presence."

"Hahaha! I suppose you have a point there." The larger man laughed slightly in reply before noticing something. "Oh? What's this?"

It was also at that same moment that both Rider of Red and the Golden Archer saw a familiar figure approaching said cloaked rat, something was also later seen by the rest of the members of the Red Faction.

"Is that Ruler...? What's she doing there?" Waver thought aloud. However, he already had an idea of what it was.

And with that, there was only one thing to do.

"Rider."

* * *

"Hmm... so you came Ruler? Perhaps I should have decided to observe from a farther location from here."

Having left Saber of Red's Master behind in order to pursue the strange sensation she felt earlier, Jeanne came across a man wearing a black cloak and a strange mask on his face. He also spoke with the voice of someone that was a young adult.

"You are... of the Rider-Class aren't you?" She asked as she put up her guard. In spite of her abilities, she could not get a read of the identity of the Servant in front of her just like what happened with Sir Lancelot. There was something interfering with it, and most likely it was due to the mask. The main difference was that the interference was far stronger compared to the Black Knight's.

"Correct." The masked man replied.

"And considering the feeling I get from you, you are not a participant of this Holy Grail War either?"

"Once again, you are correct." Rider replied as he stood up and faced the young woman. Seeing this, Jeanne noted that Servant in front of her was quite tall, about around Saber's height to be precise or more.

Seeing her tense up somewhat, the cloaked man spoke once more.

"Relax yourself Ruler, I am but an observer tonight. Nothing more, nothing less. Pointless bloodshed isn't on my agenda."

"You'll have to forgive me if when I say that I somehow doubt your words. The last four Servants that were not of this Holy Grail War that I met attacked me you see." Jeanne replied, still not letting down her guard in spite of Rider's words.

"I have heard of it, but I am not them." The cloaked man responded to her words. "Whether or not you choose to believe is entirely up to you. Just know that if you should attack me, I will be returning the favor then."

Hearing him speak once more, Jeanne decided that perhaps there was some truth in Rider's words, that he did not wish for any sort of conflict at the moment. With that, she allowed herself to relax if only a little.

"Tell me then, just who are you?" She asked. "Or rather, are affiliated with the others from before?"

"Who is to say?" Dodging the question, he turned his attention back towards the bout. "Perhaps I am, perhaps I am not. I'm not obligated to answer any of your questions after all. The earlier ones from before was just my way of introducing myself."

The young saint frowned at his words while glaring at him slightly. If Rider continued to evade her questions just like how he did now, then it would eventually lead to nowhere. She needed more answers from him, but how?

"Then how about you answer to me then?"

With a loud cackling of lightning, a chariot pulled on the same roof as them carrying none other than Rider of Red and his Master. The Masked Rider turned his attention fully towards both of them.

"King of Conquerors..." He spoke.

"Hoh? So you already know who I am?" Rider of Red smiled. "If that's the case, perhaps you're willing to negotiate with me instead of Ruler?"

"My apologies, but my answer will not change even for a Heroic Spirit such as yourself." The larger man sighed at this as his Master spoke up himself.

"Then try answering this." Waver began as all looked at him. "Will you be hostile towards us in the near future? To the participants of this Holy Grail War and its mediators?"

"Yes." The Masked Rider replied once more after a moment of silence, causing Jeanne to raise her guard and Rider of Red to smirk in response.

"If that's the case, then I suppose we have to eliminate you here." The King of Conquerors said. "Since you're not willing to negotiate, and I doubt you'd want to join my army, I suppose we have no choice then."

Rider of Red then turned to face Ruler.

"Hey Ruler! Mind if I take this guy myself, or should you and I team up? Either way, both works for me."

Contemplating his words, Jeanne began to think. The Masked Rider was too much of a mystery right now. Given that he had said that he would be hostile towards them in then near future, it would make sense to deal with him tonight. Had her Command Spells held a connection towards him, she would have forced him to answer.

Before she could even speak her mind, the Masked Rider spoke up once more.

"If you want to make a choice Ruler, I suggest you take into consideration everything that's happening around you at the moment before you do. Otherwise, you may end up regretting it in the end." He advised.

Blinking at his words, Jeanne was quickly reminded of the other ongoing situation in the streets below. She turned her attention towards the fight, and she widened her eyes as she saw another person standing where both Saber and Mordred were having their duel.

Quickly, the young saint made her move as she headed for the sight of the battle.

"Now then, I suppose that just leaves both you and me, King of Conquerors."

Seeing as they wouldn't allow him to leave without a few answers, the Masked Servant decided that it perhaps it was time for a showdown.

The echo of lightning roared throughout the night sky.

* * *

"...!?"

Before both father and daughter even knew it, something appeared overhead as they locked blades with one another.

"RAGH!"

 ***SMASH***

Concrete was smashed as both quickly leaped back from their respective positions. Both stood to see a tall figure wrapped in a black aura that covered his entire being. Despite this, both could barely see the silhouette of the person before them and could guess he was wearing Knight Armor. In his hands was a metal pole that looked very much like a street lamp.

"Berserker...!?" Saber cried out in surprise at seeing his opponent from England. What was he doing here, and now of all times!?

"You bastard...! How dare you interfere in this duel of ours!" Mordred angrily declared as she pointed Clarent towards the Black Knight. What right did he have to intervene during her bout with father? Even if he was a madman, that was no excuse!

At her words, Berserker turned his attention away from Saber and focused it upon Mordred the moment he saw her face. Despite her usual bravado, even she had to admit there was something eerie with the way he was staring at her.

The Black Knight then began to shake rather violently... like seeing Mordred set something off in him, something that Saber took note off just like what happened he had met him back in that rundown church.

"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Letting out a roar, Berserker suddenly charged at the Knight of Treachery.

Coming to a stop right in front of her, the Black Knight swung down the metal pole in his arms aimed directly at the blonde's head.

 ***SLASH*** ***SLASH*** ***CLANG***

Several blows were exchanged between the two of them, the former's attacks having enough weight behind them to actually stagger Mordred much to her own surprise. Quickly picking herself up, she stepped back to keep some distance between her and Berserker.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

It was a futile attempt. The Black Knight quickly caught up with her and raised his weapon once more.

"Tch, I will not be trifled with!"

Pouring energy into her limbs, Mordred stepped forward with an audible burst.

Not letting up, she began countering each of Berserker's attacks.

 ***SLASH***

Sidestepping, she saw an opening. Clarent grazed her opponent's armor, but the attack itself did little to actually damage it. Gritting her teeth in anger, she laid out another assault, her sword directed at the Black Knight's neck.

It was of limited success however as every time she made a move, the Black Knight would easily find a way to outmaneuver her. Just what in the world was he!?

"RAAAAGH!"

"Huh...!?"

Before she knew it, one of her attacks missed as Berserker sidestepped with his weapon raised.

 ***CLANG***

"...!?"

She widened her eyes in shock when she saw her father suddenly coming in to block the strike and push Berserker back with a powerful swing from Excalibur.

"You..."

Turning back, Saber looked at Mordred with an unreadable expression on his face. After this, he returned his gaze back towards Berserker who was silently returning the favor with his own.

"Berserker... just what are you planning?" He asked. "Are you aiding me or are you just trying to eliminate her? Either way, as a Knight who accepted a one-on-one duel against her, I will not allow you to interfere anymore than what you have already done."

There was also something about the Black Knight that seemed quite odd to Saber. There was the way he reacted to both him and Mordred, not too mention that despite having only fought him once, seeing him fight against Mordred caused something to stir within the back of his mind.

There was something familiar about Berserker, but he could not pinpoint why.

"RAAAGH!" Berserker suddenly charged at Saber as the Knight readied himself. Seeing a chance, the other Knight made her move.

 _'Now...!'_

 ***CLANG***

Timing it right, Mordred appeared from behind the Black Knight and swung her sword, sending him flying into a wall with an audible crash. Seeing as they had a short moment, she couldn't help but speak her mind.

"Are you an idiot? Trying to talk to a madman like that..."

"Indeed, but it's not like you did any different when you called him out now is it?" Saber pointed out, causing Mordred to fault slightly in annoyance. It was then she was reminded of what she actually wanted to ask.

"Why did-" She began but was cutoff as both quickly raised their guards once more as Berserker came out from the hole in the wall looking no worse for wear. The Black Knight stood in place for a moment as he began stretching his upper body and neck somewhat.

"Saber!"

Jeanne appeared and landed right beside the duo, calling out in concern towards the White Knight. Seeing her, he gave her a silent nod signalling that he was alright much to her relief. He then refocused his attention towards Berserker.

"We'll continue this later. For now, we deal with him." Her father suddenly began, and causing Mordred to frown slightly as she noticed that he wasn't even looking at her as he spoke. "After all, I'm afraid we'll never be able to get anywhere if a madman such as him around."

"Hmph, it's not like I need your aid to deal with him." She stated as she stepped forward in front of her father.

"Wait, would it not be better for the three of us to work together!?" Jeanne spoke out.

"Quiet! I don't need anyone's aid!" Mordred exclaimed in response as she looked at the blonde-haired saint before turning her attention back towards Berserker with a visible smirk on her face. "Now come Berserker! Show me your skills!"

Taking a step forward of his own, the Black Knight was about to resume his attack once more...

 ***CLANG***

Suddenly, the weapon in Berserker's hands was quickly sent flying as something collided with it. When all looked to see where that something landed, they saw that it was none other than a sword that caused the Black Knight to release his grasp on his weapon.

"Hmph. A rabid dog trying to spoil a duel between two knights? Such insolence needs to be punished."

Out of nowhere, Archer of Red appeared in front of all three Knights, standing between them and the Servant of Madness.

"Archer!? Who asked for your aid you little-!" Mordred began, quite annoyed at having another person interrupt her for the second time that night.

"Fool, I am not doing this for your own sake." The Golden Archer replied without facing her. "It just so happens that I found your duel to be quite the entertaining spectacle. But this rabid dog had intervened and thus ruining it, and that is something I, as the King, will not tolerate."

He glanced at the rooftop where his Master was safely guarded by the Lancer and his Master.

"Also, the little girl had asked to see my abilities for some time now." He said as he drew both blades on his back. "And seeing as how my entertainment for the night has been ruined as I stated earlier, I suppose being rid of the fool who ruined it in the first place would make for an adequate substitute and allow for me to reveal my grandeur at the same time."

Ten portals of light appeared behind him in a circular pattern. Slowly, ten weapons appeared from them much to Saber and Mordred's surprise. They quickly recognized that each of those weapons weren't ordinary weapons at all.

Each of them were Noble Phantasms. They could easily tell, for there would be no other way to describe the weapons of such high quality and craftsmanship that came out of the portals of light. Given who he was, Jeanne couldn't help but note that such a thing was expected.

Facing Berserker, Archer spoke once more.

"Now then, here I come Berserker. I hope you'll at least provide me with an entertaining show, for now it's time for the King to make his debut!" The Golden King declared as he charged with a wicked smile on his face.

 ***BOOM***

Several explosions rang out as the ten weapons that floated around Archer darted out of the portals of light like lightning. A cloud of smoke formed from said explosions, causing visibility of the center to lower itself.

* * *

"Hahaha! This is one heck of a show we've got for the night ain't it Master?" Lancer commented as he watched the fight together with his Master and the girl known as Reines. The blonde girl being quite interested in seeing her Servant fight paid no attention to her companions as they spoke to one another.

"Indeed." Gray replied. She had only expected to see a fight between Mordred and King Arthur, so didn't think that a third party would drop in so suddenly in the middle of it.

The green-haired spearsman nodded at this. He himself was quite amused by these turn of events. And even though he too wanted to partake in the action, Archer had beaten him in a fair game of rock-paper-scissors, as his Master called it, said game being the one they used to decide who would aid Saber of Red in facing the newest introduction for the night.

Thus, by his honor as a Heroic Spirit, he would let the Golden King have his fun, and he was interested in seeing if his abilities could actually back up his boasts up until now. And judging from he had seen so far, Archer was living up to it.

He began wondering to himself if Archer could entertain him as well... if one of his so called treasures would be able to reach him.

* * *

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

The sounds of metal clashing against metal echoed loudly around them, and quickly the spectators looked to see Archer skidding across the ground as though he was pushed back suddenly.

"Hmm... I see." He spoke.

The smoke cloud began to disperse, and there stood Berserker looking unharmed from the Golden King's assault. What was most interesting to note at the moment was that the metal pole he had been using was now gone. In its place, a sword and polearm were now in his hands.

Said sword and polearm were also two of the Noble Phantasms they saw coming out of the portals of light that Archer produced.

"It seems you have the ability to make use of anything you deem fit to be a weapon... an impressive ability to have Black Knight." He added, but the tone of his voice suddenly becoming colder as he continued speaking.

Ten new weapons appeared once more around Archer, the golden-clad man raising his head as he did so. He was smirking at Berserker while at the same time directing a very angry glare towards him, his tone of voice dropping somewhat as he spoke.

"But do remember this you mongrel. Those treasures that you wield are mine alone. A mad dog such as yourself has no right to wield, or even touch nor lay eyes upon it." He said as he took a stance, readying himself. "And as such, I SHALL BE TAKING THEM BACK!"

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *SLASH***

Darting forward, Archer appeared right in front of Berserker and began exchanging blows with him. Everyone who was witnessing this event had one thing in mind.

Whoever the golden-clad Servant was, he was good. For someone of the Archer-Class to be able to keep up with a class well known for being complete powerhouses in close combat, it only meant that the Hero who was summoned was someone of great skill.

Berserker himself was no slouch. As Archer traded blows with him, he also fired off numerous weaponry directed at the Servant of Madness.

The Black Knight was able to evade most with precise movements, adjusted his body position so that the barrage would only graze him, or at any point, he even began striking down said weapons with the ones in his hands.

 ***BOOM***

Doing such actions caused another slew of explosions as the Noble Phantasms collided with one another. The corruption caused by the Black Knight created a strange reaction within the weapons he wielded much like the makeshift weapons he had been using up until this point.

 ***CLANG* *SLASH* *CLANG***

Parrying both of Berserker's strikes with his own, the two were now caught in a deadlock with neither budging.

That, of course, only lasted for a short moment as a wild grin appeared on Archer's face.

 ***BAM***

Throwing his head back, he jumped slightly to reach the Black Knight's height and slammed his forehead into his opponent's helmeted self. Apparently the blow itself was so strong that it actually caused the Black Knight to stagger somewhat. Archer on the other hand merely cricked his head after performing the deed, not at all bothered at having hit steel head on.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

With that, he struck both weapons out of Berserker's hands, sheathing his own as he grabbed both and jumped back. In doing so, the smirk on his face soured.

"You mongrel...! Look at what you've done to my treasures!" He spoke as glared at the Black Knight. "It will take some time to remove the stain you have imprinted upon them with your hands!"

The two weapons he wielded disappeared into golden mist as he once more grabbed the two swords on his back, a look of indignation on Archer's face.

"I shall take your head as compensation for this insult Black Knight. Be ready for it."

"RAAAAGH!"

Berserker quickly grabbed another pair of Archer's weapons which were embedded and scattered around their battlefield thanks to their fighting, the Black Knight not caring to listen to anymore drivel coming from the Golden King.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG***

"Bastard! Continue to use my own treasures against me will you...!?"

Just as he was about to unleash more of his wrath upon the Black Knight, the Golden King's senses quickly went on alert as he felt a strong concentration of mana being gathered.

"Get out of the way unless you wish to die Archer!"

"...!?"

Turning his head, the red-eyed blonde saw Mordred now standing a good distance from the two with her sword at the ready and glowing brightly. A wild smirk was on her face as she yelled out.

 _ **"CLARENT BLOOD ARTHUR!"**_

A burst of red lightning unleashed itself from the blade and blasted a path directly towards the duo. Seeing this, both dodged the incoming attack as it destroyed everything in it's path for a good distance before dissipating.

However, Berserker wasn't as lucky as he was partially engulfed by the blast for a short moment before he got out of its path. Though not completely visible thanks to the black mist that surrounded him, the attack left numerous scratches and dents on his armor, with Berserker visibly struggling to get up. Being blasted at such a close range, even he wouldn't be able to come out completely unscathed.

"You bitch...!"

Turning his attention towards the blonde-haired knight in red, Archer called out to her in pure outrage.

"Well what do you know, you're still alive." She halfheartedly replied, and in a tone of mockery as well. "Perhaps I shouldn't warned you after all."

"What's the meaning of this!? Interfering with me is tantamount to-"

"Shut up! I was fighting him first, you're the one who's interfering you fool!" Mordred retorted angrily. "In any event, I was given permission by my Master to use my sword as I see fit, and I have chosen to use that privilege just now. Whether or not you get caught up in it is none of my concern."

Saying the last bit with a smirk on her face, the Golden King could only scowl as he replied.

"Hoh? Perhaps the little girl needs to be taught a lesson then...!"

"Who are you calling a little girl!?"

Both got in each other's face as they began glaring with one another.

"Please just stop it! You're both allies are you not!?" Jeanne suddenly stepped into the fray much to Saber's amazement.

"You stay out of this!" Both declared as the young saint shrunk back somewhat at the sound of their voices. Two power houses such as themselves, it would take another such person to break them up.

And said person was already about to do so...

 ***SLASH***

The sensation of pure force cutting a path between Archer and Mordred caused both to gaze at the source. Said source being none other the White Knight, Excalibur in hand as he looked at both with a calm expression his face.

"Enough with your bickering." He casually stated, as if he was a parent dealing with a pair children. He then gestured to the third party. "Our guest is still here."

Saber also noted that despite his weakened state, Berserker still seemed like he was willing to fight the moment he laid his eyes upon him.

"Fine then, I'll finish him off first then I'll deal with the both of you." Mordred declared as she raised her sword, red lightning beginning to crackle once more.

Suddenly, the group felt the presence of another Servant headed towards them, the cry of a horse echoing throughout their surroundings.

"...!?"

All looked to see a large ball of light charging right at them, causing the group sans Berserker, who was still reeling from the effect of Mordred's attack, to scatter.

The Black Knight was engulfed by the light, disappearing as it zoomed past their location. However, they knew he was not being attacked, rather, he was being aided by the light. And Jeanne knew who it was that had just saved him.

Though not completely visible thanks to the amount of light being emitted, the Masked Servant could be seen atop the light riding it as if it was some sort of steed. Behind him laid the Black Knight who, after looking at his rescuer briefly, dissipated into his spirit form. Soon enough, Rider quickly made his own exit as he flew off into the night sky at a faster pace.

"Cowards, fleeing when they were the ones who started the fight!" Mordred declared in an angered tone. She didn't know who the other one was, but it was obvious that he was on Berserker's side given his aid to the Black Knight.

"Heh, them folks sure like to run away a lot!"

Hearing a familiar voice which also accompanied by the sound of lightning crackling, they all looked to see Rider of Red and his Master arriving via his chariot. With them was also Saber of Red's Master, Kairi Shishigou. Jeanne quickly deduced that they decided to pick him up sometime after she had left him and when Rider was battling against the Masked Servant.

Speaking of which, Rider's chariot was also somewhat scratched up. But not enough that it looked like Rider had been caught in a battle that was heavily against his favor.

"You're not going to after them?" The young saint asked. From what she had seen of him, she didn't think that he would be the type to give up so easily.

"What would be the point of that? At this rate, I won't be able to catch up." The man replied. "Besides, guys like him tend to come back for more. We'll probably settle this in the future."

"Hmm? What's the matter Rider?" Archer suddenly began smirking. "Found yourself an opponent that you cannot defeat in battle?"

"Well we more or less played cat and mouse, so I really wouldn't call it a battle." The larger man declared, rubbing the back of his head. "Whoever he is, that steed of his is something to behold. It's something that can actually outpace my own chariot."

"Yet in spite of that he did not choose to. He was playing around with us." Waver added. "Whatever it was, as a member of the Rider-Class it's probably his main Noble Phantasm. But it may be too early to make assumptions."

Rider nodded at his Master's words, he too came to the same conclusion. He then turned his attention back towards Archer.

"What about you Golden King?" He began. "Will you not give chase?"

"Hmph. As you said, what would be the point?" The blond replied as he crossed his arms. "And as much as Berserker has insulted me greatly tonight, I am not so pathetic that I would go after him in his weakened state, even if he is a mongrel."

He gazed slightly at the Knight of Treachery who was responsible for what had happened with Berserker, glaring at her slightly. The other blonde saw this and returned his look full force as well.

"Heed me well little girl, I shall not tolerate anymore grievances towards myself."

"Hah! As if I would listen to the words of a fool!"

"What was that...!?"

"Alright that's enough." Kairi stepped between the two as they looked like they were about to get into another argument. "Hey kid! Mind asking the big guy over here to just cool it? It's been a long night!"

"I suppose you do have a point Mr. Shishigou."

Reines appeared from the corner of the street accompanied by none other than Gray. And upon seeing the grey-haired girl, Saber was momentarily taken aback as he noticed that she possessed an uncanny resemblance to Mordred. Not only that...

 _'That girl... there's something about her.'_ Just seeing her, Saber felt strange sensation come over him, but he didn't know what it was that he felt.

"Archer, please remain calm." Reines asked as she walked up to Archer of Red.

"And what will you compensate me with for my obedience little girl?" He began as he looked at his Master.

"I'll get you that thing you asked of me the other day." The blonde replied, a sly smile on her face. "You know the one."

For a few moments, Archer remained silent. A contemplative look on his face, before it suddenly broke into a smirk.

"Haha! Fine then, I'll do as you say for now. Be sure to live up to your word less I punish you Reines."

With that, Archer dissipated into golden mist as he entered spirit form.

"What was that about?" Kairi asked, honestly curious as were the others.

"Oh nothing. Archer is just someone who is rather easy to please at times." The young girl replied with a smile. She was honestly surprised by it. Though Archer held a dislike for the modern world, there were things that he actually approved of, one of which being "the thing" she had mentioned just now.

In the distance, a figure watching the battle disappeared into mist as they jumped into the night sky.

* * *

Sighing to herself, Jeanne was relieved that it was all over. Though both Rider and Berserker had gotten away, everything had ended well enough.

"Now then..."

It was then that she was reminded of the one person who more or less started everything that night. _Her_ business had yet to have been resolved due to the interference of the Black Knight.

Drawing her sword against her father, Mordred stood ready for combat.

"Oi, don't you think it's been a long enough night?" Kairi questioned. Even despite her desires, after everything that had happened he was somewhat convinced that she would at least call it a night and perhaps have a rematch with her old man sometime later instead.

She didn't say anything in response to her Master's words, continuing to point her blade against her current target. Her eyes once more filled with animosity, something that Saber noticed as he looked into them.

Seeing her like this, he broke into a smile...

"I see, so you truly hate me that much. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." He chuckled briefly to himself much to the confusion of those present. What was he laughing about? Did he honestly find the current situation to be funny?

It was at this that Jeanne decided that enough was enough, she won't allow anymore nonsense tonight!

Wordlessly, she stepped in between the two much to the surprise and anger of Mordred.

"What do you think you're doing Ruler? Do you want to die by my hand!?"

"I could ask you the same, Mordred." She replied, unfazed by the other blonde's threat and calling out her true name. "As Ruler, I will no longer allow any more conflicts between you and Saber-No, Arthur."

Referring to her Servant by his first name and glancing at him for a moment, she continued speaking.

"Should you continue your assault, I'm afraid I shall be using a Command Spell on you in order to get you to behave." The young saint declared. "At worst, I shall disqualify both you and your Master from the Grail War."

At that, Kairi visibly looked troubled. He had expected such a thing from the moment he had agreed to allow Saber to fight with her father, but now it was being brought up right in front of him and could actually happen depending on Saber's actions.

"Looks like you guys are in trouble." Lancer quipped, materializing for a brief second with a smirk on his face.

"Shut it!" Kairi retorted as the green-haired spearsman faded back into spirit form with a brief laugh.

"You bitch...!" Mordred growled. "What right do you have to interfere with us!?"

"I am Ruler. I serve as the Mediator for the Holy Grail War. Whatever conflict happens between your group and the Black Faction is something I will not interfere in. My role is to ensure that your conflict doesn't escalate too much that it will involve innocents and the world itself."

She paused for a moment, looking at the White Knight.

"Arthur is my partner in this endeavor. As such, any attack on him is an attack on me." She added. "I allowed you the two of you to fight each other earlier because of his request, but now I will no longer tolerate any of it. Should you continue your assault, there will be consequences."

With that, she finished her declaration. Mordred gave Jeanne a rather vicious glare as a result, gritting her teeth as she did so. From the looks of things, she would most likely attack her instead with the way she was looking at the young saint.

Said theory was proven true the moment the Knight of Treachery made a quick dash towards her.

"Hah!"

 ***CLANG***

"...!?"

She widened her eyes when she saw Clarent flying from her grasp as her father swung his sword and deflected her blow. Glaring at him, she clenched her fists and decided to go into hand-to-hand combat.

 ***BAM* *BAM***

"Gah!"

It was pointless. Although she had strength, she didn't have the skill necessary to actually make good use of it. Her father grabbed her arm as it missed him, elbowing her in the gut with a rather powerful blow that it bypassed her armor's defenses and caused her to flinch, and following up with a backhand to her face. He then quickly threw her down to the ground and placing her in a hold with her arm stretched out and her neck being dangerously close to Excalibur's blade.

"Damn you...!"

"Attacking a person while blinded by rage..." Arthur sighed to himself. "I told you before that such a tactic often leads one's own fall, didn't I? It's the same reason you lost to Gawain that one-"

"Shut up! As if your words mean anything to me!" She retorted, her voice filled with anger and hate. "You had rejected my existence... Why the hell should I even listen to anything you have to say to me anymore!?"

Such a statement only caused Arthur to pause briefly, a bitter smile on his face as he looked down on his own flesh and blood.

"Indeed, I have no say on how you choose to live your life and fight through your battles." The white knight began. "However, I am not giving you advice as your father. I was giving you advice as fellow warrior, as I have always respected you as such."

Hearing him speak, Mordred widened her eyes in surprise as she was taken aback by his words. Seeing as how she had calmed down somewhat, Arthur decided to release her from his hold. Going over to Clarent, he picked it up as she stood and continued speaking.

"If you wish to continue our duel, then I'll be more than happy to oblige so long as my Master allows it herself." He began as he held out Clarent towards her. "For now, take a moment for yourself to relax. Hone your skills through your battles with the other Servants. Otherwise, you will never beat me if you continue to act as you are."

Dropping the blade in her hands, Mordred gazed at him with an uncertain look in her eyes. All her anger had suddenly disappeared, now it was mostly filled with confusion once more, the same confusion that she had when her father had defended her earlier against Berserker.

Even now, she couldn't comprehend that. Even if he was a Knight, he had still defended the one who ended his rule, her rebellion leaving the country in chaos, and mortally wounded him in single combat during the Battle of Camlann.

And now her father was giving her advice in spite of everything that happened in their past? She couldn't properly explain it, but the situation proved to be quite strange for to even understand anything.

Walking past her, Arthur briefly laid a hand on Mordred's shoulder as he walked over towards his Master. The action proved yet another surprise for the Knight of Treachery as she didn't expect it.

The young man also directed a look towards Rider, something the larger man noticed and grinned at. It was a look of acknowledgement. Afterwards, Arthur came to a stop in front of his Master.

"Shall we get going?"

Nodding at his words, both left the area. Leaving only the Masters of Red and their Servants with them.

"Well then, that went well I suppose." Rider of Red commented. "Perhaps we should get going ourselves."

"Agreed." Reines nodded at the large man's words. "It's getting late, and I have yet to have taken a bath."

Walking over towards Rider's chariot, she quickly got on as suddenly Lancer of Red appeared in Servant form.

"Hey Rider! Wanna have a little race to see who can reach the villa first?" He smirked.

"Hahaha! Your challenge is accepted Lancer!" Rider laughed, excited at the idea of racing against the green-haired hero. "Be warned that I won't be going easy on you just because you lack a steed of your own!"

"Hah! I can easily make do even without one!"

"Hey! Don't forget we're on this thing too-!?"

Picking up his Master in his arms, Lancer quickly began sprinting as Rider's chariot took to the skies much Waver's chagrin. Reines on the other hand looked somewhat entertained by what was happening. This left only Kairi and Mordred by themselves.

"Come on Saber, let's hit the sack."

"Right, as you wish Master." She said in response, her voice was unnaturally reserved for some reason.

With that, she began following him out of the industrial complex. She noted that it had been a long night...

* * *

"Hmm... such an interesting night this has proven to be."

Sitting inside an office, Darnic and Lancer of Black were having a discussion with one another while drinking tea.

"The Saber-Class Servant of the Red Faction is the Knight of Treachery? Fate must have a twisted sense of humor to allow that person and the King of Knights to reunite once more." The latter laughed slightly.

"Yes, Julian confirmed it for us after having one his Assassin's observe the battle from a safe distance." Darnic replied. "Though I was honestly more surprised by the appearance of yet two more stray Servants along with Archer of Red's abilities. He will prove a most troublesome foe."

"He does indeed pose a threat, best to keep an eye on him and gather more information for the time being if possible." Lancer said as he took a sip before continuing. "The Berserker that appeared... it's the same one that attacked Ruler from before didn't it? The one she mentioned that appeared in England?"

"Yes, that does appear to be the case. Ruler's Servant called out to him, like he knew Berserker from before." The blue-haired man said.

"I see. Then the other one?"

"He's the fifth one to appear. Whoever he is, he is of the Rider-Class and is quite powerful. He is not to be underestimated."

Lancer nodded at this, satisfied with the information that had been gathered for the night. He looked outside the window, gazing at the moonlit sky.

In accordance to Ruler's decree, the Holy Grail War would resume once more the day after tomorrow. He smirked to himself as he thought about it.

A lot of things were going to happen soon... and he will make sure that the Black Faction would come out on top!

* * *

"Is something the matter?"

After arriving at the church, Arthur turned to face Jeanne as he had noticed that she had been staring at him for quite some time since they left the Masters of Red.

"It's nothing, it's just that... are you alright?" She asked.

What had happened earlier... she could tell that he was affected by what had occurred. Arthur's eyes which held a certain warmth in them now looked distant and troubled.

"If this is about what happened with Mordred, then I would be lying if I said I was." He smiled somewhat bitterly. "That child... is just one of the many people I've failed during my life. I understand why she acts as she does towards me, and I do not blame her for it."

Hearing him speak in a dejected tone, Jeanne couldn't help but feel saddened by it. This was the first time she had seen Arthur like this since his summoning, but she couldn't blame him for it either, not with what had happened.

"Do you think it's possible... for the two of you to ever reconcile?"

She asked, and at those words Arthur looked at her in surprise before another bitter smile appeared on his face.

"I am not that optimistic. With everything that has occurred between us, I doubt it would ever happen." He replied before suddenly looking directly at Jeanne. "You said before that you don't regret anything from your life?"

She nodded at his question, causing the young man to sigh to himself as smiled briefly at her.

"I admire you for that, Master. Perhaps you are more mature than I."

With that, the White Knight walked into the church, leaving the young saint by herself. She contemplated his words and found herself shaking her head in response as she soon followed him into the old building.

Soon inside her own room, she laid herself down on her bed. Her mind was still clouded with thoughts thanks to Arthur's words.

 _'Is that really the case though...?'_

She shook her head once more before quickly falling asleep. It really had been a long night indeed...

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

And so ends chapter 5 of the story. If you guys like it, please review. If there's any mistakes in this chapter, I'll be finding and correcting them myself, but feel free to point out such things yourselves.

Basically took the Proto-Gilgamesh vs Berserker fight from Fate/Zero, the main difference being that Proto-Gilgamesh got in close and personal. I stated before that I'm not good with long fights, so yeah XP. Don't expect much from me in that aspect. I like to write things short and straight to the point in cases like that, and I also leave the fights to your imaginations as well.

Generally speaking, I feel like this chapter is somewhat lacking. But that feeling is probably because I finished this chapter while half-asleep. And does it seem like I've been focusing too much on the Red Faction? I feel like I have. If that's really the case (Too lazy to look back at the moment) I'll be fixing that in the future once things in the Holy Grail War start to really get going.


	6. Act I-6: Day of Repose I

_**AN: Here's Chapter 6 of the story. Please read and review :)**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6:**_

 ** _Day of Repose I_**

* * *

"Hmm..."

Jeanne sat by herself inside the room of church where masses and the like were held. Currently, the young saint had her head down as she was in deep thought that morning. The events of the other night still fresh in her mind.

Two days had passed since then, with the third day beginning now. After the first day, her ceasefire ended and now the Holy Grail War was allowed to resume once more in accordance to her decree.

So far however, no activity was happening between either the Red Faction and Black Faction as far as she knew. Given that both have at least seven servants on each of their side, any serious battle between them would likely result in a heavy amount of destruction. As such preparations had to be made.

And currently, the rogue servants have yet to make another move against either faction or herself. Considering what happened to Berserker the other night, most likely his group decided to play it safe for now. She couldn't help but feel uneasy at the thought of their group still roaming around somewhere. She would need to find a way to deal with them later.

Speaking of which, she had yet to follow up on the lead the Grail had given her the other day.

There was a Master from the Red Faction who was possibly linked to the rogue Servants that kept popping up all over. As much as she wanted to go straight towards the Red Faction's base of operations, she wasn't sure if they would be as welcoming towards her as the Masters of Black.

True, the Servants of Red, specifically Archer and Rider, had fought against two of the Rogue Servants themselves, but that didn't mean she could trust their Masters. What happened with the Black Faction was a special case as it decided to take a leap of faith on that one. She wasn't sure if she should do it again in regards to the Red Faction.

Though there was the man known as Waver Velvet, Rider of Red's Master, who appeared to be the head of the Red Faction. Jeanne felt that he seemed like a trustworthy individual, but she still don't know enough to be sure of it. In a conflict such as the Holy Grail War, she would need to take some precaution. Even though her privilege was restored to her, it didn't mean she could act carelessly just because she had it.

"Hah..." Jeanne sighed to herself.

Really now, what she was doing?

Everything her mind had been thinking about just now was just her way of distracting herself from the real thoughts she was having at the moment. Said thoughts causing a frown to appear on her face.

The events of that night... she couldn't help but think it over again and again. The duel that occurred between father and daughter, the words exchanged between the two of them, and Arthur's words to her when the night ended.

Considering the events that happened by the end of his reign, it wouldn't be surprising to her if he bore some regrets of his own. It was said that many of his comrades had died during the Battle of Camlann with only a few surviving.

However, it was the way he had acted that just troubled her to no end at all. She didn't like seeing the other blonde being depressed. Even now, he was still somewhat melancholic, though he began acting like normal starting with yesterday. But she could tell that it was an act. She wanted to help him, but...

"Is something the matter?" A voice called out.

"Sister Petresia." Jeanne greeted as she saw the old nun approaching her, deciding to take a seat beside on the bench she was sitting at.

"I see you have something troubling you dear child." She stated. "Pray tell, what is it? Perhaps I may be able to help you with it."

"No, it's not something I should be bothering you with. But I appreciate your concern." Jeanne smiled at her, thankful for the gesture.

"Now, now, I am here to help you child." The Sister replied. "Does it have something to do with Arthur?"

Speaking of which, the young man was currently out doing errands for the church folk as usual. At the same time, he decided to go out on patrol in order to see if he could find any unusual activity within the city. Though the young saint wanted to follow, she had other errands to do for the church that morning. That said, she knew that he could take care of himself better than she could with her own.

Honestly surprised by how accurate Sister Petresia's guess was, Jeanne replied.

"Yes. Was it really that obvious?"

"My dear, you've been staring at him with a worried look in your eyes quite a bit since the other day. Everyone at the church has already taken notice of it." She revealed, as Jeanne gave off an embarrassed smile. She really should pay more attention to her surroundings.

"Arthur himself has been rather troubled lately. Did something happen?"

"I suppose you can say that." The young saint began as she twiddled her fingers. "The other day, he..."

She stopped herself in the middle of her thoughts, realizing that she doesn't necessarily have the right to talk about Arthur's past, even if she were to mention only a few details about it. And he most likely would not approve of it either.

While she was thinking about it, the sister asked another question that quickly snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Don't tell me he's run into an old flame of his? Could it be that he's troubled between choosing you or her?"

"H-Hah...!?" Jeanne's face quickly flashed scarlet at the Sister's words as she quickly raised her hands and waved them in denial. "I-It's nothing of the sort! We're no more than good friends...!"

"Ahahaha! You'll have to forgive me if I thought otherwise." The Sister laughed slightly as she directed a teasing smile towards Jeanne. "You have to admit child, two young adults such as yourselves, accompanied by no one but each other... unless people mistake you for siblings, which is doubtful given your accents, it would appear that the two you are lovers on a vacation."

Sister Petresia then smiled at the young blonde.

"And I was only joking. I suppose I only said that because I wanted to see what your reaction would be like."

Jeanne merely gave the Sister an annoyed look, the blush on her face not fading away anytime soon thanks to her words.

"Now then, are you feeling better?" The Sister suddenly asked.

"Eh?" The young saint blinked. She realized that thanks to the Sister's teasing her, she was no longer feeling as troubled as she was before.

The elderly woman then stood up, looking directly at the young saint.

"Now then, let's find somewhere else more appropriate for us to speak with each other."

* * *

"..."

Laying down on her bed with her hands behind her head and wearing nothing more than her tube-top and shorts, Mordred had a dazed expression on her face as she was lost in thought. The events of the other night still fresh within the reaches of her mind, most especially the events concerning what happened between her and her father.

Even now, she still could not comprehend it. She was quite confused by his actions that night, to the point she kept asking herself the same questions she had since then.

Did he not hate her? After everything that had happened between the two of them... why had he decided to defend her against Berserker's attack? She could tell, it wasn't out of honor or anything of the like. That much she knew from just looking.

There was also the fact that he said that he respected her. As alien as that word is coming from him of all people, she could not help but feel somewhat... happy. But at the same time, she was also confused.

In spite of her hatred she bore for him for having rejected her, her deepest desire more than anything else in the world was for her father to acknowledge her. To that end, she decided that she would use the Holy Grail in order to be given a chance to challenge the Sword of Selection, the very sword that allowed him to become the King of Britain as a fifteen year-old boy in the first place.

If she was successful in pulling out that sword from the stone, then would it not mean that she was a worthy successor and heir to him? Surely he would see her as just that if she were to do so.

That said, she had no actual desire to become a King like her father, nor did she want to use the Grail to directly gain what she desired. She would instead do it in a way she knew he would approve of. And despite the deeds she had done by the end of her life, she still had a sense of honor.

To gain something such as the throne of Britain by just wishing for it didn't really sit well for someone like her who worked hard in life to get where she was. And so she decided to simply settle for being given a chance at challenging the Sword in the Stone.

However, hearing her father's words the other night shook her beliefs somewhat. He said that he had always respected her. Did that mean he acknowledged her?

It didn't help that her feelings kept swaying back and forth between hatred, anger, joy, and confusion. She didn't know what to make of the situation, and that only served to frustrate her even more so.

"Damn it all...!"

She sat up and threw a pillow into the wall in front of her.

* * *

"Ah, now that is complicated."

Sitting outside of the church at a table were Jeanne and Sister Petresia, the former having just discussed what had happened the other night to the elderly nun. Of course, she had left out many details and merely said that Arthur ran into his very estranged family member.

"I want to help him, but I do not know how." The young saint began. "Even though there were times when my family and I argued, it never really escalated into something like hatred. Even when I decided to do things which caused them to fear for me, they still supported me in spite of it."

Memories of her father and mother briefly flashed throughout Jeanne's mind, causing her to smile somewhat. She wondered to herself what had happened to them after she was executed. She only hoped that they were able to move on with their lives.

"However, because of that, I don't know how to help Arthur as a result." She admitted to the sister as a small frown appeared on her face.

"Even if you know what he's going through, you don't want to say anything because you've never really experienced it yourself? And because of that, you've started feeling awkward and troubled because you don't know what to do?" The Sister inquired as she smiled at the blonde. "I can understand such a feeling. I went through the same things with some of my own friends when I was your age."

"I just don't want to come off as a hypocrite who doesn't know what she's talking about." The young saint added as she looked at the elderly woman. "Do you have any advice for me Sister?"

"I think you already know the answer." The Sister replied. "Just be yourself and be there for him as his friend. Whether you be upfront and have him talk it out with you, or you just silently stand by and support him. Any would do so long as you do it out of genuine concern for him."

True, that was the conclusion she herself had already come to. Her asking the sister on what to do was more along the lines of her just wanting to hear a second opinion so she could decide for herself.

She also pondered the idea of forcing the two to get together and to reconcile, but decided to not follow up on that as it would most likely only result in chaos given what she had seen of Mordred's attitude and the hatred she bore for her father. And she wasn't about to abuse her authority as Ruler to that extent, even if it was for the sake of her good companion.

And so Jeanne decided to go with the simple solutions. It may not help resolve the issue at hand, but perhaps it would help lessen the burden it had on her partner.

Smiling, she stood up and looked at the elderly nun.

"Thank you for taking the time to listen to me Sister Petresia. It's a most gracious thing to do."

"No, no, not at all, think nothing of it child." The Sister waved off with a smile on her face. "If anyone here is gracious, it is you. You're a kind girl Jeanne. You worry over the troubles of those around you and wish to be able to help out. Such a trait is quite admirable, especially for one as young as you."

"Hehe, you embarrass me." The blonde giggled.

Soon after the Sister decided to leave as she had something to do. Jeanne waved her goodbye as she decided to go out into the city and find if she could catch up with Arthur on his patrol throughout the city.

"Did you enjoy your talk with the Sister?"

Jeanne nearly jumped into the air when she heard Arthur speaking towards her. She saw him leaning on one of the pillars that held the front gate of the complex, a smile on his face and his arms crossed.

"Ahahaha... did you hear all that?" The young saint laughed nervously, she couldn't believe that she missed his presence completely. Her talk with the Sister must've been more distracting to her than she initially thought.

"Some of it." Arthur replied as faced the young saint directly. "While I appreciate the gesture, you don't have to worry about me Jeanne. I'm quite alright."

"Are you really?" She asked, her tone somewhat doubtful as she gave him a look. "You know, men like to act tough even when they're hurt. Someone I knew did it often, and now I think you're doing the same thing too."

Arthur responded by giving her an amused smile, shaking his head as he spoke. "You look down on me. Although I'll admit that the meeting with Mordred was something I never foresaw, it doesn't mean I would allow it to affect any of my actions as your Servant. Any personal demons I have, I shall set aside if it's for the sake of my Master."

The look on Jeanne's face didn't disappear for a few moments before it turned into a smiling expression. It looks like she had nothing to worry about after all. Gilles had once told her she was something of a worrywart at times.

Still though, one could never really predict what would happen in the future. All she could do was support her friend as best she could.

"Speaking of which Arthur, you're already done with what Brother Benedict asked of you?"

"Yes, though what he asked of me was something I never expected." The young man chuckled. "I never would have believed that a churchman would know such people unless I saw it with my own eyes."

"Eh? What happened?" She began as she motioned him to follow her. Considering how early he had arrived, she had guessed that he hasn't done much patrolling aside from the time he made his way thanks to the errand he was given earlier. Jeanne decided they might as well do it together now since they had the chance.

And so off the two went into the city, the day still quite early and thus a lot time to search.

There was also a chance of being able to catch up on that lead she had discovered the other day...

* * *

"It's been a while, hasn't it Lord El-Melloi?"

Entering the room with a smile on his face, Shirou Kotomine presented himself before the long-haired man together with both Assassin and Caster.

"It's El-Melloi II." Waver corrected as he gave a stern look towards the young man in front of him. "And just where have you been these past few days? I hope you have a decent explanation considering the recent events that have happened while you were away."

Accompanying Waver within the room were the other Masters of Red. Kairi made no attempt to hide the scowl on his face as he looked at the white-haired priest in front of him. Gray and Reines decided to merely remain quiet in order to see how events would unfold during their discussion. Rider was also within the room and sitting on a chair wearing his casual clothing.

"My apologies for that. I was busy with a great many things." Shirou began. "For one, I've been doing some reconnaissance of my own to gather any information that can give us an edge against the forces of Yggdmillennia. I've also been gathering materials for Assassin's Noble Phantasm."

"Gathering materials? Explain."

"I suppose since we are allies, you have a right to know." Shirou smiled as he gestured to the black-haired beauty beside him. "Assassin is not just of the Assassin-Class, she is also of the Caster-Class. She's what most would call a rare double-summon Servant."

That caused everyone to look at Assassin in surprise, causing the latter to grow an amused smile on her face as she saw their reactions.

"Anyway, Assassin's Noble Phantasm requires materials gathered from a certain place in order for it to be of any use." Shirou explained. "One of the reasons I've been away was to gather said materials for her through my contacts. After that, she's been slowly constructing it to perfection, and I've been helping her out during the past few days."

"Seems quite troublesome. Why didn't you ask us to aid you?"

"Her Noble Phantasm was already nearly completed by the time we had that meeting in Sighisoara, so I didn't feel the need to ask."

"I see." Waver nodded, though he was still wary of the young man. Like Kairi said, there was something off about the young man that caused him to feel cautious. Perhaps he was merely being paranoid, but such a trait had saved his life on more than one occasion given his occupation as a magus.

He then remembered the other person accompanying Shirou, and noticed that he was also a Servant just like Assassin. His 15th-Century clothing gave it away.

"I take it that this is Caster then?"

"Indeed indeed, a perceptive eye you have good sir~!" The English playwright suddenly declared as he went up towards Waver directly and began shaking his hands.

"William Shakespeare, at your service milord." He declared, not so much as bothered at having revealed his identity towards the others in the room.

"You mean the English playwright himself?" Reines voiced out in complete surprise. She did not see that coming at all.

Though not many would think about it, it was entirely possible for people such as the famous playwright to be summoned as Servants. Due to their achievements in life becoming part of world renown, they were considered Heroic Spirits in their own right.

"Ah, so you've heard me Lady Reines? I am honored." Caster replied as he smiled at the young girl.

"Is he even gonna be of any use to us?" Kairi couldn't help but point out in honesty as everyone looked at him. "I mean, from the looks of it, he doesn't really seem like a mage in the traditional sense. And from what I'm seeing, his parameters aren't all that impressive either."

"No, he won't be of any use to us at the moment. Which is why I consider myself lucky to have summoned Assassin due to her double-class nature." Shirou replied in complete honesty. There wasn't any real point in defending Caster's position given his abilities and personal stance on the Holy Grail War.

"Ah, such cruel words Master~" Caster declared in a feigned hurt tone. "True, I may not be as impressive as our Lady Queen of Assyria, but I am not so helpless as one might think either. Just call upon my aid and I will see if I may be able to do anything at all. Otherwise however, I remain but a spectator to this grand show you people call the Holy Grail War. Such an event needs to be recorded no? And who better than to make it into an epic tale than I, William Shakespeare!"

"Hahaha! Such an interesting fellow this guy is! He's at least honest about what he wants to do." Rider laughed before turning to look at Assassin, who was also frowning at Caster as he spoke of rather revealing information concerning herself.

"That said, Caster called you the Queen of Assyria. Am I to understand that you are none other than that person?"

A person who was the offspring of the Syrian mermaid goddess Atargatis, the woman who was considered the world's first poisoner, killing her husband Ninus and becoming the regent of Assyria for the next few decades. Said person was now standing in front of Rider and the rest.

"I suppose there's no point in hiding it now that this buffoon has revealed it." The raven-haired woman sighed as she shot a glare towards the English playwright. She would have a word or two with him later. "I am indeed that person. Does it trouble you King of Conquerors?"

"Nothing of the sort, just satisfying my curiosity is all." Rider replied. "That said, it looks like someone else wants to have a word with you now."

"Hmph, no wonder I felt a strange sensation when last I gazed upon you woman." A voice called out in distaste. "You and I are of the same lands then?"

And with those words, Archer of Red materialized within the room with his arms crossed and an unamused look on his face. Assassin, unperturbed by his sudden appearance, merely smirked as she replied towards him.

"And what of it Golden King? Does my origins interest you?" She asked the question with a knowing look on her face. Thanks to her Master, she already knew just who the man in front of her was. Such an interesting turn of events for someone to have summoned a Heroic Spirit such as him.

Off to the side, Rider's interest perked up once more when he heard a particular detail spoken by Archer himself.

 _'Hmm... they come from the same lands?'_ The King of Conquerors thought curiously. Given the region where Assyria was located, that narrowed down Archer's identity somewhat to the heroes who came from said lands. Given his mannerisms and Noble Phantasms... he started having an idea as to who the Servant of the Bow really was.

"Hmph. Such a vile woman you are, staring at me with such eyes." Archer declared, his voice taking a sudden angry tone. "It reminds of another that once dealt me a rather painful blow, one to which this day I have yet to forgive her for and never shall."

"For some reason that sounds like a compliment for one such as me." Assassin smiled in response, having an idea of the woman who he was referring to. "I thank you for the kind words Golden King."

Tempted to cut her down for her words, Archer began reaching for one of his blades. Seeing this, Reines called out to him.

"Please stop Archer, she's not worth your time."

Giving his Master an annoyed glare, he clicked his tongue and went back to crossing his arms as he spoke towards the long-haired woman.

"Consider yourself lucky wench, I will unleash my wrath upon you some other time then." Archer said as he left the room via the door. Seeing that another fight between allies had been averted, Waver sighed to himself.

"Such a troublesome that one and Saber are. If they keep acting like this, there's no telling what will happen to us in the future."

"Speaking of the future, I believe I have an idea on what we should be doing for tonight against our fellows from the Black Faction." The white-haired priest began as he revealed parchment to the group.

"Oh? You came up with something to strike our foes then?"

"Of the sort, King of Conquerors." Shirou replied with a smile on his face. "You can think of it as the first step towards the Grail itself."

* * *

Later that day...

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG***

Inside the castle of Yggdmillennia, Saber of Black stood by himself with his sword drawn and three golems surrounding him, each holding a sword in hand. Off to the side, Caster of Black and her Master Roche, along with Gordes and Rider of Black, stood watching the spectacle before them.

One of the golems charged, and Saber of Black quickly took it down with a brief slam of his blade, sending it flying into a pillar.

However, it wasn't the end of it as said golem stood up from its place as the other two charge at Saber from behind.

"...!"

Swinging his blade in a large arc as he turned around, the two golems were quickly sent flying themselves. Saber then quickly dodged another attack coming from the third one and threw it overhead to the ground.

 ***CLANG***

It blocked his attack with one of its arms, the golem then quickly spun on the ground using its legs to try to catch the tall grey-haired man off guard. Fortunately for Saber, he noticed it and thus jumped back.

The other two quickly surrounded him once more, with the third one from before joining in as well.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

All three golems performed a simultaneous strike against their opponent, but to no avail as all merely bounced off Saber of Black's body once they connected. The grey-haired swordsman smirked slightly as he took advantage of their flinching.

 ***SLASH***

With a single blow, all three golems were quickly cut down collapsing in a heap. At this, Saber of Black sheathed his large blade.

"Hmph, as expected of someone of Saber's caliber." Caster mused. "Mere constructs aren't enough to threaten him at all."

"Are you sure that these things are going to be of any use to us Caster?" Rider of Black asked as he went up and knelt down to the ground to poke at the remains of one of the golems. "I mean, I may not know much about magic, but I think you need to improve them a little bit more."

"And that's the reason why I asked Saber to have a mock battle against them." The hooded woman replied as she turned to said swordsman's Master. "Tell me Sir Gordes, what does Saber think of the constructs we've created so far?"

She knew that Saber of Black had taken an oath of silence thanks to his Master, so asking him for him about anything was futile unless he had his Master to be able to communicate for him. Why he had chosen to obey such an order was beyond her, but perhaps he was simply being a loyal Servant.

"Saber tells me that while your creations were unable to harm him, they were at least able to put up what he calls a decent bout." Gordes began. "And I must say Caster, both myself and Saber were surprised by how they were able to perform. Making them more humanoid yet retaining their durability. It ends up adding more flexibility and speed has greatly increased their combat capability. Along with your Dragon-Tooth Warriors and our other allies, our forces will be unmatched."

"Of course! Considering that Teacher is a Magus from the Age of Gods, it's only natural she would be great wouldn't she?" Roche smiled as he crossed his arms. Caster gave an amused smile of her own as she saw this.

"Granted, we were actually going to summon the famed Solomon Ibn Gabirol, whose area of expertise are golems and artificial humans. His skills would have been a great asset towards Roche's line of magecraft which itself specializes in creating and controlling these constructs." Gordes revealed as he too went up towards one of the down golems to inspect it slightly. "But, once Darnic discovered a relic that could perhaps summon you, a Servant from the Age of the Gods, he couldn't resist the opportunity."

"Might I ask what is it you are trying to say Lord Gordes?" Caster asked, her tone dropping slightly but enough to show that she was maintaining a sense of civility.

"Ah, you think I am against you as an ally? That is not my intention." The man replied. "I'm merely saying that I am impressed with you. So far, you've done a great deal for us by strengthening the defenses of the Castle with your magic. Though I am still wary of you due to your reputation, I do respect you at the very least."

To hear such words coming from his relative, Roche could not help but look shocked as his mouth was slightly agape along with Saber of Black looking rather taken back himself if his widened eyes were of any indication.

Caster herself was also taken off guard. Ever since her summoning two months ago together with Lancer of Black, she had seen Gordes as someone of unpleasant nature thanks to the way he presented himself most of the time along with his ill treatment of most of the homunculi staff.

Rider on the other hand...

"Heh~" He began with sly smile. "So even a man such as you can know of such a virtue as respect. I'll admit Saber's Master, I'm really surprised~!"

"Hmph! Are you mocking me Rider!?" The portly man demanded in annoyance.

"No, no, not at all~!" Rider declared before a moment passed and he stuck on his tongue in a very cutesy fashion. "I'm lying, I really am mocking you~"

Gordes fumed slightly at his words before crossing arms and faced the other direction in a huff. He realized that trying to reprimand the pink-haired Servant was futile given his personality. Caster had an amused smile at this, Rider's rather friendly personality made him one of the few people she could get along with within the Black Faction other than her own Master that is.

"Hehehe... no need for such words Rider."

Entering the room with the sound of his voice as his herald was none other than Darnic Prestone himself. Accompanying him were Lancer, Archer, and Fiore.

"Come everyone, we are to have a meeting."

* * *

"What? You mean they aim to strike at us tonight?"

Gathered within the same throne room where Darnic and Lancer of Black first met with the Saint of Orleans and the King of Knights, Darnic revealed a rather telling piece of information towards his fellow Masters and their Servants about their foes.

"Yes, Julian confirmed it for us earlier today." The blue-haired man replied as he gave a brief glance towards the young man in question before he faced Gordes. "His Assassins have noticed strange activity coming from the Red Faction's base of operations. It seems like they're preparing for something big."

Everyone momentarily glanced at Assassin who was standing together with his Master. Or rather, their Master seeing as there were actually several of them standing with him, all of which were men of varying heights and one of which was an actual woman. The only thing remotely similar about them would have been their choice of clothing as well as the masks they choose to wore on their faces.

 _'These guys give the creeps...!'_ Berserker thought with a slight shiver. While she wasn't actually afraid of them, their general appearance just rubbed her the wrong way.

"But Grandfather, it's not like they're going to make a move on us tonight, right?" Caules couldn't help but state. "I mean, there is a chance that-"

"Don't be so foolish Caules, this is the Holy Grail War we're talking about." A woman spoke out wearing a similar outfit to Fiore except unlike her, she wore a business-like skirt in place of a pair of pants. She had long gray hair and a flattering figure, her eyes had a rather nasty look to them, which was doubled by the appearance of her glasses.

Her name was Celenike Icecolle, a fellow member of Yggdmillennia and Rider of Black's Master.

"The Red Faction are obviously going to strike at us. They've had more than enough time to prepare for an all-out assault, especially thanks to the ceasefire period that Ruler declared. Only an idiot would believe that they're aren't doing anything despite evidence to the contrary." She said sharply.

"Y-You do have a point..." Caules sighed in resignation. He felt so small compared to the other Masters. He knew that even Julian, whom he did not know all that well aside from knowing that he was an associate of his Grandfather, was a better magus compared to him.

"Hey! Don't be so mean to my Master!" Berserker suddenly shouted in the direction of the gray-haired woman. Turning to look at her, she replied.

"Hmph, I was only setting him straight. If anyone is at fault, it's that fool." The pinkette glared at her unamused, before suddenly a smile appeared on her face.

"Such a cranky lady you are, no wonder the only men that can _please_ you are your own servants. Nobody one wants to touch a sagging old hag~" The pinkette stuck her tongue out childishly.

Celenike glared at Berserker sharply after her words. Were it not for the fact that the person in front of her was a Servant, she would have struck the smart mouthing brat of a girl with her magic and begin thinking of ways torture her.

"That's enough Elizabeth, you shouldn't be picking fights with our comrades." Lancer suddenly declared as he looked at the pinkette.

"But she started it...!"

"Be that as it may, there is no excuse for your actions." The man replied in a stern tone, much like a parent scolding a child. "Now then, I ask that you behave for the rest of the meeting. Otherwise, I'll have you sent to your room, understood?"

"Yes..." Berserker replied, sulking somewhat as Rider gave her pitying smile and patter her head in comfort.

Caules on the other hand couldn't help but look somewhat amused at this. His Servant had basically been told off like she was some sort of child, and by the man known as Vlad the Impaler of all people. He also noted that compared to the way he spoke with the rest of the Black Faction, which was formal and commanding most of the time, Lancer had a somewhat softer approach when dealing with Berserker in general. What that meant, he did not know.

Satisfied at having dealt with his fellow Servant, Lancer turned to look at Darnic who proceeded to nod in understanding as he in turn looked at Celenike.

"Celenike, I must ask that you too refrain from saying anything out of turn." He began. "Berserker did act out because of your words to Caules after all."

"I understand Lord Darnic." The gray-haired woman replied, though she was somewhat displeased by it.

"Back to the matter at hand," Lancer began as he looked towards Caster. "How goes are forces? Are they up to standard?"

"If you wish for my opinion, then I would say yes. We should be prepared for anything the Masters of Red and their Servants could throw at us." Caster replied before she crossed her arms. "Unfortunately however, I haven't made much progress regarding the matter of that beast yet. Though I have now learned the means to summon it, controlling it is still out of our grasp."

"Well that's a shame then, I really wondered what it would be like to be able to ride a dragon~" Rider declared, somewhat starry-eyed at the concept much to the amusement of the hooded woman.

"If that's the case then, what shall we be doing next Grandfather?" Fiore spoke up for the first time. Looking at his heir, Darnic replied.

"I would suggest we wait." He began. "Though we already know of the identities of both Saber of Red and Rider of Red, and in the case of Saber of Red, some of her abilities as well, we still do not know the full extent of what exactly they can do. Which is also the case for the remaining Servants of Red. We must not act hasty even with all of our resources."

"So then, how shall our defense strategy go for tonight?" Gordes inquired.

"I shall answer that." Lancer declared as he stood up from his spot and had all eyes directed upon him. "First things first, our front line defenses will consist of the army that young Master Roche and Caster have spent the past two months building up. It will be a good chance to see just how well they can up against our opponents."

He then eyed Saber and Berserker.

"You two will act as our gate keepers. Thanks to the field Caster had set up, the only way to enter our domain without suffering any sort of negative penalty would be through the front entrance. Once enemy forces have broken through, they will head straight for the gate."

"Right! You can rely on us Uncle~!" Berserker declared.

"Uncle?" Caules muttered, but it looked like Lancer wasn't at all bothered by the term his Servant had called him by. In fact, he looked somewhat amused by it rather briefly.

"Archer, Assassin, Rider." Lancer began as he looked at said three Servants. "You will all provide support for both Saber and Berserker from a distance. Your abilities make you all quite reliable for such a role. Caster and myself will act as the defenders of this castle from the inside should the enemy find a way to push through our defenses."

"Understood, I shall perform to the best of my abilities." Archer replied with a bow. The Assassins did the same, but did so silently.

"So I'm not fighting on the front lines?" Rider stated with a crooked smile. "Well I suppose that would do as well. I've never really been a fan of fighting in general."

"Don't be such a coward Rider!" Celenike retorted in response to her Servant's words.

"How mean Master, looking down on me like that. I'm not being a coward, I'm ready to fight whenever I'm needed." The pinkette replied with a pout towards his Master before it suddenly broke into another smile. "I'm just the type who believes that people should always get along you know~? That's the reason why I'm not really a fan of fighting if it's to the death. You can't enjoy life if you're buried six feet under~"

Such a statement, despite being a participant in the event known as the Holy Grail War, could only be heard from the mouth of the man who was well known to be quite optimistic. That said, Caules actually agreed with Rider's views. Fighting to the death would be a rather morbid thing to go through.

"Say, can't we just gang up on them together and kill anyone who tries to get past the gate on the spot?" Berserker asked. "I mean, that would be a lot more simple right?"

"True, it would be simpler." Darnic replied in Lancer's stead. "However, the Red Faction must've already considered the possibility of us conforming to such an action. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising if they too were to gather all their strength and strike simultaneously."

"But there's also the fact that they're going to be fighting within enemy territory." Fiore continued for her grandfather. "We have the advantage over them. As a result, they cannot act afford to act carelessly. When attacking a stronghold, it would be best to first send in a few people to see how well fortified it is before deciding to attack it. It's a basic tactic don't you agree? Granted, they may go ahead and attack us head on if they believe themselves to powerful enough to do such a thing... but I believe you can understand what I'm trying to say at this point."

Berserker nodded at this, understanding the reasoning stated before her.

"Well done Fiore, your insight does you good." Darnic complimented his granddaughter, who merely smiled in response and blushed somewhat in embarrassment. "Now then, you all have your orders. The Red Faction will most likely strike sometime around midnight so as to reduce the chances of civilians witnessing the battle from a distance. Until then, you are all to prepare. Dismissed!"

With that, the meeting was adjourned as each of the Masters went on their way to prepare for the assault that was to come only a few hours from now.

"Saber! Berserker!" Rider of Black suddenly called out towards the two Servants acting as their front line defense. Both stopped in their tracks as they turned to look at the other pink-haired Servant.

"Good luck to the two of you, be sure to stay safe~!"

"Of course! I still have to settle my score with you about that singing contest we had!" Berserker declared in response as Saber nodded as well. And with that, Rider left together with his Master as did the others soon after.

* * *

Several hours later, within the city of Trifas, Jeanne sat on a bench at a public park. Night had fallen and covered the city in a blanket of darkness that was kept at bay by the various lights that littered the streets and buildings.

"Hah, it's been a long day..." She sighed to herself as she stretched her limbs. Despite her enhanced physical attributes, she was still prone to such acts thanks to the limitations presented by her human body.

At the end of the day, both she and Arthur couldn't find out about anything new in relation towards the rogue Servants within the confines of the city. There was only so much ground they could cover thanks to their inability to go into spirit form.

There was also the matter of the Master of Red that Jeanne felt was connected to the aforementioned matter. While she wanted to do something in regards to them, she didn't want to antagonize any of the Red Faction members with her suspicions of one of their members. The young saint needed more information before she could act. Thus, she decided that for now, it was better observe the actions of the Red Faction first and then, when the opportunity presents itself, strike.

It was then that something very cold pressed itself against her cheek.

"Ah!" She yelped in surprise at the sudden sensation. She looked up to see Arthur holding two bottles of water. Looking behind him, she saw a vending machine not too far from where she was sitting at the park, noting that he must've brought it from there.

"I thought you could use a drink." He said as he handed to bottle to her.

"Thank you." She smiled at him as she began drinking.

"Had the day been what you expected it to be?" He asked, sitting beside her as he also began drinking. Compared to his Master who actually had the needs of a normal human, he drank water because it pleased him. It offered a refreshing experience even if one didn't need it.

"Somewhat. I didn't really expect to find anything new just like yesterday." She replied.

"Life has never really been that easy. It will not simply give you what you desire even if you wanted it to. Such is the reality of our world." Arthur replied with a crooked smile on his face. This was something Jeanne frowned at. Or rather, she pouted and thus raised two of her fingers, the index and middle to be precise.

In accordance to her beliefs and what Sister Petresia had told her, this was something she was going to do for his sake as his friend and Master.

"Arthur."

"Yes-What the!?"

Mere inches away, the young man moved his head away as two fingers missed having poked his eyes out. It then repeated several times over, causing a rather amusing scene for those who saw them. It only came to a stop when Jeanne's hand was caught by the other blonde.

Arthur then looked at the young saint rather incredulously as he also noticed the pouting look she was giving him. He began sweating slightly as this was the first time she looked rather visibly annoyed with him. What did he do to suddenly make her like this?

"J-Jeanne?" He began.

"You were lying to me earlier weren't you?" She suddenly declared as she pointed a finger at him. "You said you were alright, but right now you're not acting like it."

"Is this about what I said about life not being easy? I was mostly speaking about it as a whole rather than what I've experienced myself." Arthur replied, but Jeanne was not convinced as she pressed a finger against his chest.

"Don't make excuses, you were thinking about happened the other night weren't you?" She stated, and she knew she hit the mark when she saw him turn his head away slightly. It looks like the feeling she had earlier was right after all.

"I knew it." The young saint crossed her arms. "Arthur, if you have a problem you want to talk about, you should just be honest about it and not hide it away."

"I assure you, it wasn't anything like that at all." He replied as raised both hands in a defensive way. "And I don't want to waste your time with me when you have your own duties as Ruler that need to be fulfilled."

"That can wait. I'm also your Master in case you have forgotten. As such, I'm also inclined to take care of you while you serve me." She pointed out. "And as your friend, I feel the need to help you out whether you like it or not. In other words, you're stuck with me."

The logic of her statements caused Arthur to give up as he knew dragging on the issue wouldn't have gotten either of them anywhere. He also gave off a mirthful smile towards the other blonde since he found her actions to be both amusing and sweet.

"So then, this is still about what happened with Mordred isn't it?" She began.

"Yes." He nodded, deciding to admit his thoughts to her. "Even now, I still feel like I should be doing something rather than just sitting here and waiting for her to come to me instead."

"Do you wish to make amends with her?"

"No, that is a possibility far beyond my reach. And one that I do not deserve." Arthur gave off a slight chuckle, one that wasn't of amusement. Something that caused the young saint to look at him sadly. "I just feel the need to correct all the wrongs I did to her. But I just don't know where to even begin such a thing."

"Why did you reject her in the first place?" She began, pausing for a moment a she knew that things were becoming rather personal. "I mean, I know about your history and legend, but I want to hear it from you."

"Where do I even begin?" Arthur replied, scratching the back of his head with a sigh. "To start with, she was a child born out of wedlock. I know from firsthand experience that people wouldn't accept her easily thanks to the nature of her birth. Second, she was nothing more than a pawn of her mother. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on her. Even if I wanted to acknowledge her, I couldn't risk the security of my Kingdom because of it."

Jeanne nodded in understanding. In most tales, Morgan Le-Fay was almost always involved with the downfall of King Arthur.

"Thirdly, she wanted to become my successor to the throne. I highly doubt that many of my people back then would accept a female ruler. I think that's the reason why she decided to wear that heavy armor most of the time, to hide the fact that she was a woman from the people so she would be able to become King."

"But you saw through her disguise correct? Is that why you rejected her?"

"No, that's not it. I'm not someone so low as to judge a person's worth by whether or not they were born a man or woman." He replied. "Mordred most definitely had the heart and ability. She was a fine Knight, upholding the law and followed the code of chivalry. In time, with some tempering of her own recklessness and arrogance, I believe she would have made a fine leader. And if need be, I probably would have used my authority to press the issue even if some wouldn't agree to it."

"Then why did you reject her...?"

"Well, If I were to say something... then I suppose the main reason would be that I couldn't accept her."

"Couldn't accept that she was your child?" She added for him.

"Yes. Perhaps everything else was just an excuse."

He solemnly nodded, looking up towards the sky with a crooked smile on his face.

"At the time, I couldn't come to terms with it. Had Mordred chosen to reveal herself earlier or at a later date, there could have been a chance of us... No, that's just another excuse of mine. In truth, I chose to reject her simply because I _wouldn't_ acknowledge her as my own. I spoke harsh words, banished her from my Kingdom, and it all eventually ended with the two of us dying by the other's hand. Such is life I suppose..."

With that, the young man ended his talk, causing the other blonde to look at him sadly once more.

"Perhaps you two should have a talk with one another then?" Jeanne suggested. "Wouldn't that be the best thing to do?"

"I doubt that she'd want to speak with me on unless it's when we fight." Arthur replied. "After all, you heard her say it. Why should she listen to anything I have to say to her anymore? Even the name of her Noble Phantasm tells me that she demands that my blood be spilled."

Clarent Blood Arthur. The name of the Noble Phantasm Mordred had used to take down Berserker the other night. When it was unleashed, he could actually feel a surge of anger and hatred directed towards him despite it being aimed towards the Black Knight.

"You shouldn't be so negative." The young saint chided as the other blonde looked at her. "You never know, perhaps even she wants to make amends herself. But she can't be honest with herself because she's... difficult, and can't express her feelings correctly."

Such a statement caused the young man to chuckle briefly at her description for Mordred. His Master was definitely trying to think of a way to describe her positively but had trouble at that moment. Said action only caused Arthur to chuckle briefly before smiling at Jeanne.

"While I would like to believe in what you said, I doubt that would be the case." He replied, his voice beginning to take on a more cheerier tone. "Still though, I thank you for having this conversation with me. I now feel like a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders somewhat."

"That's good to hear. If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Alright?" She said and smiled at him in response. Though his problem hadn't been solved yet, it looked like he wasn't as bothered by it anymore. And that was a good thing, wasn't it?

It was then she was reminded of another question she had been meaning to ask the young man. It was a question that's been on her mind since the night he and Mordred fought against one another.

"Speaking of which Arthur, how old are you exactly?"

"Hmm? I'm twenty-five, what brought this on?" He stated in a casual tone, causing Jeanne to freeze slightly at the revelation.

"R-Really?! Then how old is Mordred?!" She asked. The Knight of Treachery looked to be about her age, so if Arthur was twenty-five, then when was she conceived!?

"Ah, now I understand. This is about Mordred's appearance isn't it?" He said before he noticed the somewhat reddening expression on the young saint's face. This caused him to look at her confusingly before realization struck his mind. "Wait, you're not thinking that I-No! Do not misunderstand me as someone like that! I am not my brother!"

"Eh? Ah! No, no, no! I-I wasn't thinking that at all! Ahahaha...!" Jeanne nervously stated. "I mean. I'm not really judging you for it, I know you're a good man at heart."

"The look in your eyes tells me otherwise." Arthur deadpanned before sighing. "If you must know, I became King at the age of fifteen and ruled for over ten years before I died. If I'm correct, then Mordred was conceived at least three years after I first became King, thanks to my sister's scheming no less. That would at least make her six to seven years old."

It was thanks to those words alone that Jeanne was able to guess what he meant by that statement as he gave off a look that was in between being troubled and somewhat embarrassed when he said it. She knew better than to ask anymore because it would've gone beyond personal by that point.

However, something still didn't add up...

"But if that's the case, how can she looked to be that old then?"

"The simple answer would be that her growth must've been accelerated with magecraft done by my sister no less. That's the only logical conclusion I can come to." Arthur stated, as Jeanne nodded in understanding. If magecraft was involved, then it really was the only explanation as to why Mordred looked to be a young woman instead of the child that she was supposed to be.

She remembered that according to legend, Mordred's mother was a witch of incredible power. Said to be equal to Merlin himself in some works. If that was the case, then accelerating the age of a child to the point they would look like adults within only a few years would've been rather easy then.

It also clued her into another thing...

"I see, so that's why you thought of her as a pawn of her mother."

"Yes. Morgan was a very powerful mage, and bore a very strong hatred for me ever since I first met her." He revealed. "When I found out that Mordred's mother was none other than my very estranged sister, I couldn't take any chances with her. She could have easily been controlled the moment she was born."

She nodded in understanding, but couldn't help but feel sad for both the young man seated beside her and Mordred. Their relationship with each other was heavily influenced by another party. Because of that influence, things ended up turning sour for the both of them.

It was because of her thoughts that she failed to notice the growing smirk on Arthur's face.

"But enough of this dreary talk. I never expected a saint such as yourself to think of some rather... naughty thoughts. I'm surprised Master."

"W-What?! What do you mean by naughty thoughts?!"

Whatever Jeanne had been thinking about at that moment quickly disappeared from her mind as said thoughts were replaced with embarrassment and annoyance at Arthur's words, her cheeks growing a red hue in the process.

"Well, your reaction just now about how Mordred was born spoke to me what you were thinking about. I can't believe that you quickly came to that conclusion on your own. I don't whether or not to feel insulted or to just laugh." He casually replied.

"...!" The young saint froze up, the embarrassed blush on her face growing by the second. Seeing this, the young man couldn't help but laugh at his Master's expense. For all her dignity as a Heroic Spirit, Jeanne was still a normal person at heart. The thought of which bringing a smile to his face.

"Hehe. Now then, shall we get going?" Arthur said as he stood up, still smiling at his Master's reaction. "It's getting late, and if we have no more locations to check out, I suggest you allow your body to rest up for the night."

"R-Right..."

The young saint replied as she directed an annoyed pout at him, realizing that once more Arthur had been teasing her. She should have expected that he would have brought something like that up. Really now... she should have seen it coming.

...!

"Ah! Do you feel that Arthur?"

Hearing his Master call out to him, the young man in question paused in the middle of walking as he looked in her direction. He noticed that she was staring into space with a rather serious expression, meaning something was troubling her.

Clearing his mind, Arthur focused his senses on what Jeanne had just asked him about. Thanks to their connection to one another, he also shared her ability to sense things in a far wider range than what he would normally be limited to.

"I feel it." He began. "There's movement in the night, and not of the ordinary kind."

"It seems that a battle is about to begin." Jeanne concluded. "And from the way they're moving... it's at the Black Faction's Castle!"

* * *

A little while later, near midnight...

"Hmph. I must admit, the defense force they've put up is rather impressive."

From a distance, Shirou Kotomine and Waver Velvet stood as they watched the homunculus/golem army form at the gate of the Yggdmillennia Castle. There were so many of them that it would not be easy to break through unless one had another army ready to strike.

"Shall I have Rider to deal with this?" Waver suggested as said person materialized beside him.

"Want me to deal with this? Fine by me, it looks to be an exciting challenge!" Rider declared as he smashed his fists together.

"No need. If my guess as to what the King of Conqueror's Noble Phantasm is, then we should be saving it for later." Shirou replied much to Rider's disappointment. "Besides, I have another solution for this situation. I believe that they shall be more than enough."

"You mean Saber and Lancer?" Waver inquired. "You said a third would be joining them. Am I correct to assume that this third would be none other than...?"

"You're about to find out in three, two, one..."

* * *

 ***BOOM***

An explosion rang out in the air as several dozen of the army was quickly decimated by the arrival of three figures.

The first was none other than Saber of Red, the Red Knight deciding to use her Helmet for this battle. Beside her stood Lancer, a wicked smile on his face that signified that he was quite excited for what was about to happen. The third was a new person entirely...

Said person was a man with a rather large build. He wore what looked to be red ancient-chinese style armor and a pheasant-tail headpiece on top of his head. In his right hand was a halberd of great length. A ferocious aura surrounded his entire being, an aura so ferocious that it was correct to say that he was demanding blood be spilled right in front of him.

It was too obvious as to who he was...

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Letting out a mighty roar, Berserker of Red charged alongside Saber and Lancer into the army waiting for them.

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

And that's Chapter 6. It should be pretty obvious to you guys just who the heck Berserker of Red is. I figured that having him around is better than Spartacus whose role was basically to blow himself up and never to be heard of again. That, and I find the former to be a lot more dangerous that Spartacus is as an overall fighter. In case some of you thought it was going to be Heracles, let me tell you this. I do that and the Red Faction will go beyond OP by that point.

Next chapter, it's Red vs Black for the first time. The first official battle between the two factions of the Holy Grail War commences. Let's see how it unfolds shall we?

And once more, please read and review :D


	7. Act I-7: Red vs Black I

_**AN: And so here comes the 7th Chapter folks. I hope you all enjoy it. Please read and review :)**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 7:**_

 ** _Red vs Black I_**

* * *

"Hah!"

Mordred let out a mighty cry as she charged through the enemy forces in front of her, a wild grin on her face as she did so.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG***

One by one, each one of her opponents fell before her blade. Her view was swarmed with an army of white-haired humans, golems, and skeleton warriors. However, this would not be enough to stop her. They could come at her all they wanted, it would not matter. The Knight of Treachery would not be stopped by such things.

She was also able to note thanks to her own origins that the white-haired soldiers she was fighting weren't actually humans, but were actually homunculi. Though she was somewhat perturbed by this fact, she would not allow it to sway her from her objective for the night.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH***

She kept cutting down everything coming at her. Despite this, they kept charging despite how obviously outclassed they were. Most likely it was their tactic in order to tire her and her companions out. At this, Saber merely let out a demand as she smirked.

"Come at me! Is that the best you puppets can do!?"

 ***SLASH* *SLASH***

She bisected two enemy golems in front of her, the two constructs quickly falling to pieces. Quickly, she moved as another came upon the spot where she had just been standing. A small crater then formed thanks to the impact of the third golem's attack. Seeing an opportunity, the Red Knight swung her sword vertically and then horizontally, cutting apart the golem.

She then saw a male homunculus charging right at her, which then resulted in a smirk growing on Mordred's face.

 ***STAB***

Before her foe could even get within range to attack, the Knight of Treachery threw her sword, the blade burying itself deep within her opponent's head as he collapsed onto the ground in a heap. She then quickly followed up by running over towards Clarent while picking up the longsword from her fallen enemy.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH***

Though she had no training in wielding two blades at the same time, for someone like Mordred who relied more on brute force, it did not matter if she had the skill or not. So long as she knew how to fight, that was more than enough.

She also noted that the weapons they were also using were of very fine material given how easily her secondary weapon was easily slicing through her foes and how lightweight it was at least when compared to someone her size. Most likely, the one who created it along with the constructs she was fighting against, was none other than Caster of Black. Whoever he or she was, they were the only one who would be capable of creating weapons strong enough to stand against someone like her.

 ***STAB***

She impaled another homunculus standing before her, quickly charging forward as she ran through several more.

 ***BOOM***

With a quick burst of red lightning, her impaled foes were all blown to bits along with those who were unlucky enough to be standing near and in front of her as she performed the deed.

 ***CLANG*** ***SLICE***

Parrying a blow from another foe her other weapon, she quickly followed up by bisecting her current opponent.

Five more enemies then came upon her as Mordred turned around to face them...

 ***BAM* *BAM* *BAM***

Several strong punches suddenly sent them all flying towards some of their allies, causing them to collide with one another and collapse to the ground. Looking towards the source, she saw Lancer standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Letting your guard down Saber? It would be a shame if you died so suddenly~"

"Shut it you twit, I was about to take care of that myself!" The blonde growled as she turned to ignore him and continued her charge against their foes. Seeing this, Lancer could only shake his head and laugh as several golems and skeleton warriors, which he had recognized as Dragon Tooth Soldiers, approached him with the intent to kill.

 ***BAM***

Several moments went by as the constructs remained still while Lancer remained unresponsive to their simultaneous strike. He then raised his head, a grin on his face as he spoke aloud towards the constructs and homunculi that surrounded him.

"What's the matter? Can't hurt me can you?" He said, the grin on his face turning into a smirk. "If that's the case, get out of my way!"

 ***SLASH***

Swinging his spear in a wide arc, the Servant of the Lance quickly dispatched of several golems that surrounded him. Seeing another come upon him, he merely smirked as he stood there and allowed it to hit him in the face.

Once more, the attack had no effect, as if he wasn't feeling anything at all from the blow landed upon him. As such, Lancer responded by dispatching his current opponent as he did earlier with the others. He then continued his charge towards the Castle Gate, his smirk turning into a sad smile.

Though he liked the fact that he was finally able to fight for the first time since his summoning, he was highly disappointed that none of them could even scratch him. Thanks to the blessing from the Gods he had received as a child, he would not be harmed by anything that wasn't similar origin as to the Gods themselves. As a result, any battle he would fight in would end in his victory due to his invincibility.

He had one weakness that could be exploited, but he wasn't stupid enough to allow himself to once more fall for the same trick that caused his original defeat in the first place. He wished for an opponent that he could fight on equal terms with, and so far none of the enemies he had been fighting were of that stature. He hoped that the Servants of Black could provide more decent entertainment than their puppets could.

 ***BOOM***

"Well, at least those two are having fun." Lancer commented as he looked in both Saber and Berserker's direction.

Speaking of the Servant of Madness, the green-haired spearsman noted that he wasn't half-bad. Despite being insane, he was actually able to retain some of his skills as a warrior given the way he swung his halberd against the oncoming foes in front of him. Had it not been for the fact that Berserker was also someone unable to harm him, he believed he would have enjoyed having a serious bout with him.

"Well, I guess I can't let myself get left behind now can I?"

* * *

"Hmm... such fierce guests we have for the night."

Watching the battle from within the throne room of the Yggdmillennia Castle were Darnic, Vlad, and Caster, the latter of which was using her crystal ball to observe the ongoing battle between the Yggdmillennia Army and the Red Faction Servants.

"Indeed. Perhaps we should have invested more time in readying our army?" Darnic mused.

Truth be told, Darnic had always expected such an event. Having fought as a Master during the last original grail war half a century ago, he knew first hand how powerful a Servant could be. He just never thought that the Servants of Red would be able to break through so fast despite all their preparations.

"As much as I would want to believe in such a thing, I think it would be for naught considering the opponents our forces face. No matter if they if were on a level compared to a lesser Servant, if faced with one of a far superior then the end result is what we see before us." Caster replied, displeased in the fact that, despite her hard work for the past few months, it all was quickly being undone as the three Servants decimated their army.

Then again perhaps it was to be expected? Only a Servant, or something of equal or superior power, could match Servant as they say. No mere constructs would prove a hindrance for beings such as them.

"Considering who one of them is, it's not all that surprising. We've already seen what she can do." Vlad added. "Not to say that her two companions aren't as dangerous as her that is. Both are proving to be quite troublesome in their own right."

The Knight of Treachery was an opponent that could not be taken lightly, as was her two companions whoever they were. In particular, the green-haired warrior was the one that caught his attention the most. Vlad deduced that he was none other than his counterpart, Lancer of Red, given that he was fighting with a spear.

Unlike Saber of Red who took the time to actually dodge enemy attacks and counter them, his counterpart more or less just stood there and took every attack directed towards him. Yet despite all that, nothing happened. No matter if one tried to stab him or clobber him with a blunt object, nothing was affecting him. They would need to find a weakness soon, otherwise this battle may end up heavily favoring the Red Faction.

And their wasn't really anything he had to say about Berserker of Red since, well, he was Berserker. It was only natural to assume he would be a troublesome foe. Still though, the one before them was quite powerful in his own right. He noted that the Red Faction must have had considerable luck to have been able to summon such powerful Heroic Spirits as their Servants.

"Oh my, according to one of the Assassins, it appears that Rider of Red is going to be joining the fray soon." Caster spoke up.

"Milord, do you have anything you wish to say in regards to our current situation?" The blue-haired man spoke out at the man sitting upon the throne. "At this rate, the Red Faction Servants will break through our defenses."

"Have our remaining forces of homunculi and golems withdraw for now. Better to save what we have in order to use later." Vlad began. "After that, have Saber and Berserker intercept them, we did have them stationed there after all."

"And what of Rider of Red?"

"Rider is to intercept the King of Conquerors. He is the only one among us, aside from perhaps Caster that is thanks to her magic, who is capable of flying at a speed capable of matching that chariot of his." He continued. "Have Archer support him during their bout if possible. I want him to be able to keep an eye and everything that's happening from where he stands."

"Should we have the Assassins make a move or should they remain as they are and continue to observe?"

"Yes. As far as the enemy knows, there's only two Assassin-Class Servants. Ours and theirs. Right now, it's too early to reveal what Assassin's true capabilities. But if they see an opportunity, have them find out where the Masters of Red are hiding at. They must be close by if their Servants are performing an assault tonight. I doubt that people such as the King of Conquerors and the Knight of Treachery would wish to serve under anyone who wouldn't willingly ride into battle with them."

"As you wish." Caster said as she began delivering the order with one of her familiars. At this, a smile grew on Lancer of Black's face.

 _'It's time to see how well our allies can stack up against our foes.'_

"Hmm... Now I see. No wonder he seemed somewhat familiar..."

Vlad quickly looked towards Caster who spoke in tone full of wonder and surprise.

"What happened...?" He asked as the woman in purple and black looked towards him with a smile visible underneath her hood.

"It seems that our dear friend Archer knows about that spearsman down below."

* * *

"RAAAAAAGH!"

Letting out a cry of rage, Berserker swung the halberd in his hands rather easily despite its large size. He easily pushed through his foes with none being able to slow him down even for a moment. Truly, the members of the Berserker-Class were a force to be reckoned with.

And as such, it was only correct that another force of similar strength would be needed to confront the Servant of Madness.

 ***CLANG***

Berserker's halberd suddenly found itself interlocked with another weapon, a greatsword to be exact. When the former looked to see who dared to even stand before him, he saw a tall man with long platinum-blonde hair bordering on grey or silver wearing similarly colored armor.

Taking advantage of his foe's brief confusion, Saber of Black kicked him back.

"Hello~!"

 ***SMASH***

Which was then quickly followed up by Berserker of Black cheerily greeting her counterpart as she smashed her weapon, which was a large spear, into his own causing the ground beneath them to break apart forming a small crater. The pinkette then landed on the ground as she followed up with another strike which was quickly blocked by the other Servant of Madness.

"You must be my counterpart then. I have to admit, I was hoping it would be someone like me." Elizabeth said with a smirk on her face as she stood her ground against her foe with their weapons pushing against one another.

"RAAAAAAAGH!"

"...!"

All that quickly came to end as she suddenly found herself being blown back rather forcefully. It was rather clear to say that her counterpart was easily stronger than her physically speaking considering his build.

Seeing this, she picked herself up.

 ***CLANG***

"...!?"

Elizabeth nearly fell back when suddenly out of nowhere Saber of Red appeared before her with her blade raised. Seeing this, Saber of Black stepped in front of his ally and parried the incoming sword strikes.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

The Red Saber followed up with three more consecutive blows, all of which was parried, and during said moment the second sword she had been wielding was shattered due to Saber of Black's strength. Unfazed by it, Mordred made a charge towards the Black Saber as their blades were caught in a deadlock, sparks flying slightly between them.

"Heh! I take it you must be Saber of Black!" She smirked at him. "It's about time a worthy opponent showed up, I was getting tired of killing all these puppets you people have been throwing at us."

Unfazed by her statement, Saber of Black pushed back his opponent with a hard swing. With that, both Servants of the Sword began trading blows with one another. It was going to be a high speed battle that could only be appreciated by warriors such as they.

Much like the bout with her father, Saber of Black was a far better swordsman compared to the likes of Mordred. Once again, this didn't really faze her ability to stand against such foes. Along with her strength and stubbornness as her Master called it, she had the advantage of her small size and speed when compared to her larger counterpart. And thanks to those two attributes, she was able to keep up with him

"RAAAAGH!" Berserker of Red roared as he charged towards Saber of Black, intent on taking him on as well.

 ***CLANG***

"I don't think so!" Elizabeth stated as she blocked an incoming strike from Berserker of Red towards her ally. "Keep your eyes on me big guy, it's rude to ignore a lady don't you know~?"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

 ***SMASH***

Elizabeth leaped as Berserker of Red swung his halberd down hard upon the spot where she had just been standing, the force of the attack causing a crater to form.

"Ugh... why couldn't you be more like me?" The pinkette muttered to herself in disappointment as she began trading blows with her counterpart. Trying to make conversation with the insane really was an exercise in futility. She felt like she got the short end at a straw lottery.

* * *

"Wow, it looks like everyone's giving it all they've got~"

"Indeed."

Atop one of the many towers of the Castle were Astolfo and Chiron. Both were currently observing the battle between both Saber and Berserker. Suffice it to say, it was quite an entertaining spectacle to behold.

"Right, I suppose it's time for the both of us to do our jobs." The male pinkette said as he stood up and began stretching his limbs. "I wonder if the King of Conquerors will be making an appearance tonight? I haven't met him yet, but I heard from Saber that he's a really interesting person~"

Such a statement caused Chiron to smile at his companion. Being comrades with one such as the young paladin was a rather refreshing experience.

It was at that point that he looked up in the sky as he felt a presence.

"I believe he is already waiting for you my friend." Chiron pointed out as he directed a finger to the sky.

Looking up, the young paladin saw a flying chariot pulled by two large bulls. There at the reins stood a man with a rather large build and red hair and a matching red cape. It became obvious to Astolfo as to who that man was.

He could see clear as day the smile on his counterpart's face. It was a smile that could basically be translated into two words.

Bring it!

"Archer, I'm leaving everything else here to you alright?" Astolfo said as he turned around to face the green-haired centaur using a human form. "I'd like it if we all are able to make it out tonight in one piece."

"I'll be sure to live up to your expectations my friend." Chiron stated in response with a smile on his face. "Though I do have some business I would like to take care of as well. If I don't, then I believe this battle may turn out to be rather one-sided."

"Really?" Astolfo's curiosity peaked up. "And what business would that be?"

"Keeping at bay an old student of mine..." Chiron began as the smile on his face grew wider. "And to see how much he had grown since I last saw him."

* * *

"I must say, it's as chaotic as I expected it to be."

Standing atop a cliff-side that overlooked the entire battlefield were Arthur and Jeanne. The duo had just arrived at the scene and where currently observing the battle. So far, nothing big had happened yet that required the two to interfere which was something of a relief for both.

"They're all fighting quite impressively." Jeanne added. "It goes to show one that they're all individuals who have earned their place as Heroic Spirits."

The White Knight nodded at this in agreement before looking back towards the battlefield. His gaze currently focusing on one specific individual.

At the moment, she was fighting against Saber of Black. Jeanne had told him that the Servant of Black was none other than legendary dragon-slayer Siegfried. With that in mind, he saw Mordred's chances of winning their bout go from even to slim.

"Are you worried about her?" The other blonde stated with a knowing look on her face as she saw the expression on her partner's face.

"No. I'm just curious to see how long she will be able to fare against Saber of Black. That's all." He stated in reply, but his Master only smiled at him in response.

"Just be honest with yourself, you're worried about her aren't you?"

"I suppose it's useless to hide it from you." Arthur sighed with a slight grin on his face. "I know that we are to be a neutral party in this war, but I suppose I can't help but cheer her on. In spite of everything that's happened between us, she was still a former knight in my service. Perhaps the me from back then who still viewed her as an ally has faith that she can pull through."

Though considering who her opponent was, the white knight believed he already knew who was going to win. But despite that, he wanted to believe otherwise.

The young saint merely continued to smile at him. To worry about and even cheer on someone whose actions resulted in both the end of his kingdom and his own life... Even if she didn't know everything about what happened, she was sure of one thing though. That the person in front of her truly was a kind soul.

She then turned her gaze towards the the distance. She looked directly at a hill filled with trees that was located south from the Yggdmillennia Castle. She could sense the Masters of Red standing there observing the battle themselves.

Along with the Master the Grail had provided her information about...

Whoever that person was, Jeanne strongly felt that said person really was involved in the strange occurrences that had been happening since the beginning the of the Holy Grail War. However, as much as she wanted to confront him now, she first had the duty of overseeing the battle below in order to make sure nothing got out of hand.

She could always send Arthur in her place instead, but she wasn't comfortable with the idea of letting her partner go off on his own without someone to back him up in case something were to happen. As powerful a Servant he was, he was still one person and could be overwhelmed given the right circumstances.

 _'Right now, there are ten Servants out in the field.'_ She began in her thoughts. _'Whether the winner of this battle be Red or Black, I pray that whatever happens now will result in a fortuitous outcome for the Holy Grail War and everyone involved.'_

She could only rely on such thoughts now. She believed that the situation would only continue to escalate itself in the near future.

* * *

"Hmph. How is it that I am here with you lot when I could fighting on the front lines with the rest of the rabble?"

Seated upon a sofa of the finest quality was Archer of Red, the gold clad Servant looking rather displeased as he stared at his Master who sat beside him drinking tea. Right now, the duo were at the same spot where the rest of the Masters of Red where gathered in order to overlook the battlefield where Saber, Lancer, Berserker and Rider where fighting at.

Speaking of which, the sofa where both Master and Servant were seated upon was something pulled out from the Golden Archer's treasury, which itself wasn't limited to merely weapons alone. Along with it, he also pulled out a small table where the former laid both his legs at.

"It can't be helped." Reines declared as she set down her teacup. "After all, you lost to Lancer this time in that little game of yours."

Said game was another rock-paper-scissors match between Archer and Lancer. The prize being that whoever won would be the one to fight during the current battle and the one who lost would serve as the guardian of the Masters of Red during it. Needless to say, the latter had won the second bout given the former's current position.

"Hmph! That fool got lucky!" Archer said in response as he crossed his arms. "Should he and I go another round, I will emerge victorious from there on and so forth!"

Reines merely giggled at this as the Golden King growled in annoyance. As much as he was displeased by it, his honor as a warrior forbade him from breaking the oath that he swore. He then sighed and calmed himself down. He decided that he might as well drink some wine while waiting for something interesting to happen.

To which he then summoned a jug and cup, and soon began drinking. A scene which was witnessed by Kairi Shishigou as he looked at Waver and spoke.

"Remind me again as to why Archer isn't part of our assault force?" He asked. "You've seen his fight with that Black Knight didn't you? He sure as shit looks like he'll be an asset in this battle. And why aren't we using him as long-range support either?"

He had asked Waver about Archer's identity, and though the younger man was hesitant about revealing it, he decided to forego with it since knowing about it wouldn't really change much other than knowing the name of the Golden Servant. Suffice it to say, he was surprised and awed by it once told. It explained a lot about Golden Servant, from his mannerisms, style of dress, the way he fights and how powerful he was.

It was scary to think what would happen if he was an opponent instead of an ally.

"As powerful as he is, he's hard to control." Waver replied, whispering the last part so that the Golden King wouldn't hear. "Saber and Lancer are at least a little more manageable, and Kotomine has complete control over Berserker. Along with Rider, they're the ideal team for a battle where you want to ensure the least amount of damage to your surroundings. Adding him on the other hand... I'd rather not take the chance, especially since he has a short temper."

Gazing towards the red-eyed blonde currently lazing about on his sofa, Waver continued to speak.

"Besides, we'll need at least one Servant to keep protect us should something happen. And this way, we can at least keep a closer eye on him by having Reines around to keep him in line. Despite how he seems, he's actually alright with having her for a Master and going along with what she says."

That made a certain amount of sense to Kairi. Archer was certainly one of the hot-blooded types who could easily be angered. There was no telling what would happen if he fought against someone he could get a rise out of him. From what he had seen, the Golden King most likely would give a second thought to harming civilians during a fight, which would then result in a conflict with Ruler and her Servant should such a scenario come to pass.

It was probably the reason as to why Waver called for that game between Lancer and Archer during their strategy meeting, which in turn lead to a rock-paper-scissors match, which by his observation was actually rigged.

"And to answer your second question Shishigou-san," Shirou spoke up as the sunglasses wearing mercenary looked at him. "There's also the fact that Archer refuses to participate in the fighting unless it's up close and personal. Trying to argue against him about it would be futile given his personality."

"Well that's not surprising."

"Indeed. And in case you were wondering, both Caster and Assassin aren't all that useful in a situation like this themselves, not without the necessary tools that is."

"Speaking of which, where are they?" Waver spoke out.

"Keeping watch from a distance further away from here." Shirou replied. "Assassin's familiars are relaying information directly to me, giving us real-time observation over the entire area. That should at least give us the element of knowing when and where the enemy will strike. If need be, I can even have her mobilize her Noble Phantasm. Though I believe it to be still too early to reveal such a trump card."

"And that just leaves us with him to look after us." Kairi commented with a sigh, gazing at Archer of Red. "Why do I get a bad feeling about this-"

 ***WHOOSH***

"...!?"

All looked to see a dagger being thrown directly at the youngest member of the Red Faction, the young blonde's eyes widening slightly as she saw the blade inches away from her face.

 ***CLANG***

The dagger was blown back. But not by Archer, the red-eyed blonde smirking slightly at the startled expression of his Master along with staring at her savior who was currently standing right in front of the duo.

Said savior was none other than Gray, a large scythe in her hands which she seemingly pulled out of nowhere.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned about the young head of the Archibald family.

"I'm fine, thank you Gray." The blonde replied as she calmed herself down.

Such a feat surprised Kairi greatly, he had never expected the quite looking girl to have such a thing on her person. Then again, considering his line of profession in life, he supposed it was only natural to assume the unexpected. And it looks like that he along with Shirou were the only ones surprised by the fact. From the looks of Waver and the young blonde, it gave off the impression that both knew about her weapon themselves.

 _'That scythe... there's something about it.'_ Shirou thought, but decided to keep such thoughts to himself for now as he was reminded of the current situation before them.

"That dagger...!" Waver began as realized who it belonged to. "Is it Assassin!?"

The last time he had fought during a Holy Grail War, he encountered a similar looking weapon that tried taking his own life in a similar manner. Could it have been the very same Servant as it was back then? What were the chances?

Looking towards the source, the members of the Red Faction saw a figure dressed in black with a skull mask making a break for it. They all realized that said person was indeed Assassin, as they were the only class that had the ability of concealing their presence without any of them knowing about it.

 _'So it was the same person...!'_ Waver began in his thoughts, but something was slightly off. Although their general appearance was the same, skull masks and black clothing, the one he had seen just now was shorter than the one he encountered back then. He wondered to himself what that meant.

"At last, something to entertain me." Archer said as he stood up, the sofa disappearing back into his treasury much to Reines' chagrin as she was still seating upon it, causing her to fall on her behind onto the ground beneath.

"Give me a little warning first...!" She complained as she rubbed her bottom.

"Watch over the little girl. I'm going hunting." Archer stated as he leaped after Assassin with both blades drawn.

* * *

"Hah!"

A strong horizontal swing from Lancer of Red sent dozens of enemies flying. Seeing that he had a moment to breathe, he sighed as he scratched his head.

"Damn, is this all these guys can do...?"

Looking behind him, he saw numerous corpses and remains of the Black Faction Army littering the area where he and his allies came from in order to get to the gate.

Most of it was actually his doing. While they did fight as well, Saber and Berserker basically charged through the main force as they headed straight for castle, not really caring much about their opponents all that much.

For a warrior such as Lancer, being a ignored during battle was a great insult. As such, he decided that he would at least give his human foes, as human as homunculi can get that is, the honor of dying by his hand. He believed that they deserve at least that much for standing against him and his comrades.

"Gah...!"

A homunculus cried out as Lancer stabbed him in the heart.

 ***SLASH***

Quickly, he bisected his foe as the green-haired spearsman sighed to himself. Despite his earlier belief, the battle quickly became rather one-sided when it was just him and the entire army going against each other. And that was a great bore to one such as him.

"Man, is there even anyone around who's able to give me a good fight?"

 ***BOOM***

Looking towards the source of the explosion, he saw his comrades fighting against the Servants of Black. Seeing this, he smirked as he hefted his spear over his shoulder.

"Heh! As if I'd let myself be left out of the fun!"

Deciding that he had done enough damage to the army that itself had suddenly begun retreating into different locations that surrounded the Castle, Lancer of Red made a beeline towards the chaos of his fellow Servants battling one another. Perhaps one of them may prove to be an entertaining foe for the night.

It was then that he heard an arrow being shot towards him, seeing the incoming object coming at him from above. Instead of deciding whether or not to intercept or dodge it, the green-haired spearsman merely smirked as he allowed the sharp object to hit him.

 ***SHNNK***

Staggering slightly in surprise, Lancer came to a stop as he stared blankly at the arrow that suddenly pierced his left shoulder. His eyes wide in shock at the protrusion stuck within his flesh. There wasn't any sign of pain on his face. Rather, it was filled with blank surprise. The green-haired spearsman couldn't even get a word out as two more flew towards him.

 ***SHNNK*** ***SHNNK***

Both shots pierced through his armor and skin. His interest piqued, Lancer quickly removed one of the arrows and gazed momentarily at it.

"This arrow..." Lancer began as a smile began forming on his face. "I recognize this craftsmanship anywhere, and this sensation too..."

Realizing that the person who shot the arrows must've been of divine nature, not too mention recognizing the design said arrows, the green-haired spearsman began laughing aloud.

"AHAHAHAHA! THIS IS GREAT! I DIDN'T THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

Looking up, his smile formed into a wild smirk as he saw who was responsible for shooting him. It was a person that he was able to identify at first sight.

After all, why wouldn't he be able to recognize his old teacher? The very person who taught him the skills necessary to be a hero?

Getting into a stance, a wild grin formed on his face as he cried out his master's name.

"MASTER CHIRON!"

With that, the legendary Greek hero known as Achilles charged into battle.

"A pro-active person as always. Why am I not surprised?"

Chiron merely smiled as he saw his former student quickly run towards his direction and began jumping up towards his level via the towers that were placed throughout the complex. The green-haired Archer deciding to take the chance to shoot him as he made his way up.

 ***SHNNK* *SHNNK* *SHNNK***

Once more, three arrows pierced Achilles' body, but the Servant of the Lance was not bothered by it at all. Rather, each blow only served to excite him more and more. Soon enough, he was now on top of the same roof as his former teacher.

 ***CLANG***

Pulling out a sword crafted for his use by Caster of Black, Chiron parried an incoming blow from his former pupil's spear. A rapid exchange of blows soon took place, all the while the former took shots at the latter.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG***

"Hahaha! It's been a long time hasn't it Master!? Who would've thought that we'd meet each other again in a place like this?" Achilles began.

"Indeed. Perhaps fate may have played a part in our reunion." Chiron replied. "Or perhaps it may just really be a coincidence. Who is to say?"

A casual exchange such as theirs could only happen between two fine warriors such as they. Proof of the latter could be seen from their duel alone as both parried and dodged every single attack either one would make.

"Who knows? All I know is..."

 ***CLANG***

Another collision of their weapons caused both to skid across the ground due to the sheer force.

"I'll be taking your head tonight!" The green-haired spearsman declared with the wild grin on his face growing bigger by the second.

As much as Achilles cared for and respected his former teacher, he was now Lancer of Red. A Servant fighting in the Holy Grail War. Personal relations no longer mattered to him at this point, he who was now merely a spiritual construct living on borrowed time. As such, he decided to enjoy his current life as much as he could, and being faced with the chance to do battle with his former teacher, how could he resist?

"Ahahaha... as straightforward as always I see." Chiron himself shook his head as he continued to smile at his former pupil. He hadn't changed all that much since he last saw him. He was hit with something of a nostalgic feeling as he saw this, flashing back slightly as he saw his old friend just getting started training under him.

Still, much like Achilles, he too had no problem in taking the life of his old friend for similar reasons. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and focused his attention back to the situation at hand.

 ***CLANG***

As such, the battle between teacher and student had finally begun.

* * *

"Hah!" Two voices called out, one masculine and one somewhat feminine.

 ***CLANG***

In the skies above the Castle, the two Riders clashed with one another. One rode a chariot pulled by large black bulls covered in red armor, and the other rode a rather magnificent creature that was known by many as a hippogriff. Currently, the two flew beside each other all the while exchanging blows using their respective blades.

 ***CRACKLE***

Astolfo smiled as his mount momentarily got clear of his counterpart's chariot, dodging the sudden burst of lightning blasts. Thanks to flying rather close to his counterpart's chariot, there was a chance of the lightning generated by it as it moved hitting them. Luckily for the young paladin though, it didn't look like his counterpart he held much control over the ability as if he did, he would have already tried shooting him down with it or something. That, and he was able to tell when a sudden burst was about to begin, giving him time to at least get clear.

That said, he was really quite taken with the appearance of said chariot, finding it to be very interesting that such a vehicle would be able to fly despite it not having wings like his mount. Still, he could not allow his fascination to hold of him during this battle. He had people counting on him. As such, on his good name as one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne, he would not fail them.

In his right hand held the spear he used to do battle while riding a mount. It was a large white spear that was ornately designed. He called it Argalia, named after the original owner, who was both a knight and a prince of a certain country, of which Astolfo had obtained it during one of the many escapades he went on during his life.

 _'Now then...!'_

Tightly gripping his spear, he flew closer to his counterpart and hanged in an upside down position.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

Rider of Red quickly parried each attack the young paladin could muster while in such a state. Truthfully, the young paladin admitted to himself that he wasn't actually that good with a spear when compared to the likes of his ally Lancer or perhaps Berserker of Black. That said, he believed himself to still be a formidable enough foe when performing mounted combat.

Seeing that his attacks were not doing much effect, Astolfo returned to a normal flying position and suddenly spurred his mount to fly faster and it did so with haste. Moving past Rider of Red's chariot.

"Hah! We cannot allow ourselves to be outdone... HYAH!"

Spurring the divine bulls that pulled his chariot, the King of Conquerors gave chase.

"Hehe...!"

Without warning, the hippogriff had spread out its wings, causing it to momentarily stop and for the large man's chariot to have passed them. It was at that moment that Astolfo took the chance to jump onto the chariot itself, landing on top of one of the bulls.

"What...!?"

"Hah...!"

Balancing himself on the metal pole that separated the divine bulls from one another all the while grabbing onto one of them, Astolfo began an assault on the King of Conquerors using his spear.

Narrowly being stabbed, Iskander smiled as he once more countered. Though at such a close range, he could only do so much. As such, once he saw an opportunity, he took a chance and grabbed his foe's spear. Though such an act did cause the hand he used to perform the feat to start bleeding.

Seeing that the pinkette was stunned by his act, the larger man spoke.

"Forgive me my friend, but I ask you get off here!"

Using his body strength, the King of Conquerors tightly gripped the spear as he threw the young paladin off from his chariot.

Said throw didn't do much as the young paladin was quickly rescued by his mount. The latter then returned to flying normally once more as both Riders stared at one another intensely. It quickly ended as both broke out into smiles.

"You're not bad with a sword King of Conquerors." The pinkette stated. "You've managed to parry all my blows up until now."

"Hehe, it's not the first time I had to tangle up close and personal." Iskander stated as he eyed the foe's mount with a glint in his eye. "I must say, that is a rather magnificent beast. Might you tell me where you found such a thing and tamed it?"

"I don't remember it actually, I've been on a lot of adventures you see~" Astolfo stated with a hand behind his head somewhat embarrassed.

"Well that's too bad, I was thinking of getting one myself too." The large man sighed in disappointment before a smile once more formed on his face. "Oh well, I suppose I could just take yours instead. A much simpler solution wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah! You can't do that!" Astolfo pouted as he held onto his mount even closer. "This guy right here is my partner you see, so I can't let you have him even if you are a King. I am willing to lend him to you if you surrender to us that is~"

"Hahaha! I like you, you remind me of someone I once knew in life!" Iskander laughed. "Perhaps you'd be willing to join my army? I can promise you a high-ranking position if you do~"

"Ahaha~" The young paladin began laughing himself. "As flattered as I am King of Conquerors, I've already sworn myself as an ally to others. No matter what you promise me, I will not break their trust."

"Too bad then." The large man stated before thinking about something else. "Now that I think about it, I have yet to ask you of your name."

"Haha, don't you think that's something I wouldn't answer~?"

"Perhaps." Iskander began before smiling. "But I believe yourself to be a person who will answer when asked, no?"

Silently contemplating, the young paladin decided to answer since he was asked.

"I am Astolfo, the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne."

"Hoh? I did not expect for one referred to as the most handsome to look so much like a young maiden!"

"I think you may be the first one to ever get that correct the first time." Astolfo chuckled briefly. "Shall we continue our dance then?"

Not long after their conversation with one another, the two continued their bout in the sky.

* * *

Within a secure location inside the Yggdmillennia Castle were the sibling team of Fiore and Caules. The brother-sister duo were currently standing by as per Darnic's orders. The head of the clan believed that spreading out the Masters of Black throughout the castle would benefit them should something breach their defenses. With the use of a Command Spell, their Servants would be able to appear to their aide once it was needed.

Currently, the brother and sister duo sat together at a table, watching the ongoing fights as well observing the surroundings through several crystal balls that Caster of Black had conjured up for them. It also served as a means of communication between the members of Yggdmillennia.

"Are you nervous Caules?"

"Yeah, kinda..."

Fiore wasn't oblivious to the fact that her younger brother was afraid. She knew him better than anybody else after all. But as much as she wanted to say that he shouldn't be, she could not blame him. She too had fears of her own, but as the future head of the clan, she could not allow herself to show any form of weakness.

"It'll be alright." She began. "You should have faith in our Servants."

"You do have a point. Berserker would probably hit upside the head if she thought I was doubting her abilities." Caules stated as he leaned back on his chair while putting both hands behind his head, a crooked smile on his face.

Such a statement caused Fiore giggle slightly. Even in a situation like this, her brother found the ability to make rather humorous remarks.

"Hehe... Huh? Crap! It looks like Berserker's being pushed back!"

* * *

"RAAAAAAGH!"

"Tch!"

 ***SMASH***

Dodging an incoming strike, Elizabeth jumped to the side as Berserker of Red swung down hard on the spot where she had just stood. She cursed to herself as she found herself quickly being overwhelmed by her counterpart. It was the only natural result after all. She was a noblewoman for most of her life, not a fighter. All her battle skills could basically be summed up as her relying on her innate prowess as a Servant.

 ***SLASH***

A cut formed on her cheek as she once more narrowly avoided being beheaded by her counterpart. It was only one out of several. However, though she was bleeding, she felt no pain. That was due to the fact that she was summoned as a Berserker-Class Servant. Servants summoned under the class were granted the ability of _Mad Enhancement_ , but hers was rather low ranked and allowed her to retain her reasoning. All it did was slightly augment her strength and endurance, as well as removing her sense of pain.

However, the wounds on her body wasn't what was bothering the pinkette.

It was the fact that her counterpart had marred her beauty several times. And now he had marred her face... that was something she could not allow to stand!

"That's it!" She bellowed. "You'll pay for that you overcompensating oaf!"

Suddenly, a rather large pair of draconic wings sprouted from the pinkette's back.

* * *

"Oh my, I never expected her to have the ability to grow wings!" Fiore commented in slight awe.

"Same here. I was really surprised by it when she first showed it to me after her summoning." Caules added.

During her life, the girl known as Elizabeth Bathory actually lacked the claw-like fingernails, dragon horns, and tail. These were only attributes that would appear once she was summoned as Servant thanks to the skill _Innocent Monster_ , which would distort the appearance of a Servant due to their reputation. Her family was associated rather closely with dragons. And with her reputation during life, perhaps her appearance as a Servant was only natural.

With her newly spawned appendages, perhaps now the girl had a stronger chance against Berserker of Red.

* * *

 ***CLANG***

Berserker of Red quickly parried an incoming strike from his now aerial-born foe.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

Two more strikes as Elizabeth blitzed around her counterpart. She thought to her self that she should have just used this ability from the start. It certainly would have made her battle with Berserker of Red somewhat more easier for her to handle.

That said, her counterpart continued to block and parry any attacks she would try to strike him with. Perhaps it was time to try something different? An idea came to her mind as she began thinking.

She then remembered that she had the abilities of a dragon due to her heritage and appearance. With that, Elizabeth smirked as she got in close...

 ***CLANG***

Parrying a blow, she took the moment where her counterpart tried to collect himself and follow up and got in close. Floating right in front of his line of sight as she took a deep breath...

"HAAAAAAAHHH!"

And let out a loud roar of ultrasonic waves against Berserker of Red. Though similar to her Noble Phantasm, it could be considered a weaker and smaller version of it. That and she was basically letting out a loud yell, which was unlike where she was singing.

Not expecting such a thing, Berserker of Red was pushed back by the sound attack, and it looked as though he was being hurt by it before crashing into the wall that surrounded the Yggdmillennia Castle. The structure collapsed and buried Berserker of Red under a pile of rubble.

"Ugh... maybe I went a little far?"

Floating down slightly, Elizabeth surveyed the destruction she had caused. She was slightly hoping that Lancer would not scold her for this.

 ***BOOM***

"Wah!" She quickly dodged several flying debris that came from the pile that suddenly exploded. There, she saw Berserker of Red looking no worse for wear, causing the pinkette to click her tongue in annoyance.

"A real persistent man aren't you...? How vexing!"

She was answered with a Halberd being swung down upon her.

* * *

In contrast to the situation of the Servants of Madness...

"Damn it all...!"

No matter how hard she swung her sword, no matter how fast she would strike, Mordred found herself being pushed back by Saber of Black. The priest's mentioning of him being a powerful Servant was on the spot it seemed.

In terms of pure ability, she was outclassed. Blow after blow, move per move, she was parried and met with a counterattack each time. Whoever her opponent was, he was most definitely a hero of great legend.

"Hah!"

 ***CLANG***

An audible clang erupted between their blades as both Servants of the Sword skidded across the ground. Stabbing her blade beneath the earth where she stood, Mordred came to a stop as she glared viciously at Saber of Black.

As much as she hated to admit it, Saber of Black was perhaps someone as powerful as her father. That alone was a blow to her pride as it reminded her of everything that she wanted to be and hated at the same time.

If Saber of Black was truly someone equal to her father, then what did that leave her? Though she lacked skill and finesse in her sword play, she was still able to tell how strong a person was just by trading blows with them a few times.

And she knew, knew for a fact that during her last bout, her father was indeed holding back on her during their battle on that bloodstained hill. Her pride merely blinded her from realizing it that time. Only after gazing into his eyes during their reunion did she figure it out, and her trading blows with her counterpart only cemented it.

That resulted in her poising a question to herself...

If she could not defeat Saber of Black, whom she believed to be on equal footing to her father, what did that say about her? Did that mean she was really nothing more than a pretender who could not stand on the same level as the King of Knights?

 _'No... there's nothing I cannot defeat!'_ She shook her head.

Why on earth was she doubting herself!? Such foolishness should be above someone like her, for she was the child of King Arthur! The heir to his legacy and skill... there was nothing her father could do that she couldn't do just as well!

With that, the red knight tightly gripped her sword as she raised it above her shoulder. Suddenly, her helmet disassembled itself onto her armor. In doing, it caused the first step in the activation of her main Noble Phantasm as sparks of crimson lightning radiated from the blade as prana began gathering within it. That act caused her counterpart to quickly raise his guard.

 _"Oi Saber! Who gave you permission to use your Noble Phantasm?!"_ Kairi telepathically demanded, having sensed what his Servant was about to do.

 _"Hmph! As if not using it in this situation will benefit me."_ She responded. _"The one before me right now is an opponent I can no longer take lightly. As such, I shall respond to his strength with my full might!"_

"Prepare yourself Saber of Black! I shall be taking your head now!" The Knight of Treachery bellowed as her counterpart suddenly received a command of his own.

 _"Saber, I give you permission to use your Noble Phantasm."_ Gordes' voice echoed throughout his mind. _"Both Lord Darnic and Lancer have approved of its use. Show them how powerful you truly are, Dragon-Slayer Siegfried!"_

Hearing his Master give the command, Saber of Black responded by smiling and raising his own sword above his shoulders, the blade glowing a bright azure light.

* * *

Seeing the current situation unfold, Lancer of Black stood up from his throne as a long spear appeared in his hands.

"Darnic."

"Yes milord?" The blue-haired man asked, but he already knew what the answer was going to be.

"I leave everything here to both you and Caster." He stated. "I'm heading out to deal with our guests as well."

* * *

"Uwah~"

Stopping briefly in their duel, both Riders were momentarily awestruck by the sudden burst of light that was being emitted from the castle below. Astolfo was very much fascinated by the colors, finding the mixture of both crimson and azure to be a stunning sight to behold.

Iskander on the other hand had only one thing to say.

"Interesting, it looks like our friends of the sword below are about to go serious!"

"Wait, really!?" The male pinkette stated in brief panic. He could sense large amounts of prana gathering where the lights were coming from. He was starting to get worried about his allies. As such, there was only one thing he could at this point.

"Hang on Saber! I, Astolfo, shall aid you!"

With a mighty cry, the hippogriff flew towards the source of the light at a fast pace. Dive bombing to be exact as they darted past his counterpart who was slightly taken off guard by the action.

"Well that's rude, leaving me here by myself." The red-haired man stated with crossed arms before a smile broke out on his face. "Do not think I'll allow you to do such a thing just like that my feminine friend! HYAH!"

 ***CRACKLE***

* * *

There was a sharp contrast between the gathering of prana between Mordred and Saber of Black within their respective blades.

In regards to the former, her blade was glowing a crimson and the prana building up took the form of lightning that began to violently radiate from the blade as if it was ready to explode.

On the other hand, the latter's sword was the polar opposite. The prana building up was serene in its gathering, and the colors that represented it would remind one of both the sky. It was a stark contrast to the former. Whereas the former would cause fear, the latter would cause a sense of peace as ironic as an attack meant to destroy would even cause such a thing.

 **"CLARENT..."**

Mordred swung her sword down with a mighty yell to the sky.

 **"...BLOOD ARTHUR!"**

A trail of crimson lightning burst forth from the red sword, heading straight for Saber of Black. In response, the platinum hair colored male swung down his own sword.

 **"BALMUNG!"**

For the first time in the Holy Grail War, the hero known as Siegfried spoke by crying out the name of the legendary dragon-slaying sword in his hands. The weapon which he had used to slay the dragon Fafnir. It was a battle where he had truly become a hero of legend.

Azure and Crimson, two different lights headed straight for each other, colliding. It was a struggle to see who would overpower who.

However, much like how they were gathered, there was a prime difference between how they both attacked as well.

Mordred's blast was a linear attack while Siegfried's attack was more spread out in comparison. Thus, despite him being far more powerful, the crimson lightning was able to power through the wave thanks to it being concentrated.

 ***BOOM***

* * *

"Hmm...?"

Seated atop a log within the forest that surrounded the city of Trifas, Archer of Red wiped his blade clean from the blood that covered it.

Beside him laid a body that laid in a pool of blood, one that was covered in all black which was slowly evaporating into black mist. Said body also had its head removed, which itself was currently perched on branch that Archer decided would make for a do hanging spot.

Currently, he was successful in killing off the rat that dare threatened to harm his Master. It was the only natural result. After all, one such as him would not lose to a rat so pathetic that he had to rely on stealth to perform his kills. Though he too knew of the value of stealth attacks, he held a distaste for those who decidedly used the method as a lifestyle. One look at his prey, he was able tell that type of life he had lived.

Soon after killing him though, Archer heard a rather loud explosion coming from the direction castle where the Black Faction resided at.

It was also at that moment that he decided to entertain the others who were hiding in the shadows.

"Continue to hide in the darkness if you wish. I will find and end you all as I have your friend here." He said, banging on the tree that held the severed head, causing it to fall on roll onto the ground. By that point, the body had already disappeared and was soon followed by its head.

"I believe you will have a hard time doing that, Golden King." A familiar voice cried out.

A soured look grew on Archer's face as he saw Ruler and the King of Knights appear from the shadows. Their armor now glistening under the moonlight causing a somewhat ethereal scene should one view as a third party.

"Ruler..." He sneered. No wonder he felt a strange sensation once felt their presence. "And why exactly have you chosen to appear before me?"

"I would like for you to hear me out on a matter I've been wishing to discuss with a member of the Red Faction." Jeanne stated, unfazed by the hostility coming from the Servant of the Bow.

Arthur on the other hand found the man before him to be rather troublesome. He would have preferred it if his Master hadn't chosen him to speak with and chose someone else, such as the man known as Waver Velvet whom they met during the first night. But he supposed it couldn't be helped. Much like with Black Faction, she once more decided to take a leap of faith.

"Hmph, and what makes you believe that I would listen to you? Such a request coming from the one who proclaims herself to be a Ruler when in reality you are nothing more than a mere peasant. It's laughable at best, insulting at worst for you to be here in front of me."

"Mine is nothing more than a title and symbol of authority as a mediator of the Holy Grail War." The young saint replied. "I am not a sovereign, and never have I ever proclaimed myself to be one."

"At least you acknowledge it." Archer stated while crossing his arms, though he was still displeased by the sight of the female blonde. "So then, why exactly have you decided to appear before me?"

"I would like to discuss with you about one of your comrades, King of Heroes." Jeanne began.

Hearing his title spoken, Gilgamesh, the legendary God-King of Uruk, decided to hear out what the young saint had to say to him.

"Do tell..."

* * *

"Man oh man... do I wish I could be there right now."

In the far distance outside the surveillance range of both Red and Black factions, a young woman watched the conflict between the two factions from atop a building. She had shoulder length blonde hair, part of which was braided on the left side of her face, and blue eyes. She wore glasses and a black themed female school uniform that wouldn't out of place in a Japanese high school.

Beside her was another individual who sat on the edge of the rooftop. He had messy blue hair that was long enough to be tied into a pony tail and red eyes. He wore blue and black clothes underneath a set of white armor that gave him a somewhat feral look. In his right hand and hefted onto his shoulder was a crimson colored spear of intricate design. From his appearance alone, one would be able to tell that he wasn't of this time period.

"Obsessed with fighting aren't you?"

"Of course I am, it's a lot of fun after all."

The female blonde eyed him curiously at that. Ever since the two of them began working together, she always found the blue-haired spearsman to both annoying and somewhat interesting.

"Say Lancer, now that I think about it, you never told me what your wish was."

"That's because I don't have any." He stated in a somewhat deadpan tone, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "A real hero wouldn't have a wish they want granted or something like that. Guys like me should be content with the life they've lived."

"I see..."

"What about you...?"

"Eh?"

"What's your wish? I mean you were chosen right? That means you'll have one of your own."

She hadn't thought about that yet. Truthfully, with everything that had happened up until this point, she was had yet to consider why she was chosen to participate in an event like the Holy Grail War. Her grandmother had told her of how frightening the ritual could be, of how many people would often get caught up in the grand ritual of the magi to reach to root.

Her grandmother told her that half-a-century ago, both her own father and sister had participated during one such event where her elder sister served as the Master, of the strongest Servant-Class no less. But even then, her grandmother's sister died during the conflict. After that, she swore to herself afterwards that she wouldn't have anything to do with the Holy Grail War anymore after what had happened.

"Hey, Ayaka...?"

"It's nothing." The blonde haired girl known as Ayaka stated. When she thought about it now, perhaps she was chosen merely because she wished to see what the Holy Grail War was like. All the tales her grandmother told her, her curiosity had been piqued.

 _'Still, even if I wasn't chosen... I couldn't leave this to chance. Not after what I've seen.'_ She thought. _'No matter if that person's goals are noble, if he's going to hurt a lot of people while doing it, I'll never forgive myself I just walk away from that!'_

Standing up, Ayaka gazed upon the battlefield once more. Reminding herself of the goal she set for herself that night. She was trying to find someone, but with just her and Lancer, she didn't exactly know where to start, especially in a foreign city such as this. Her first lead was the battle between the two factions which Lancer had sensed. But right now, she couldn't really get too close less they were detected.

 _'If me and Lancer are going to stop him, then I'll have to meet up with this Ruler-Class Servant. Whoever they are, I just hope he or she will hear us out.'_

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so ends the 7th Chapter. A belated Merry Christmas to everyone and early happy New Years! :D

Fight scenes have never been my strong suit, you guys should already know that by now. So yeah XP That's why this chapter took as long as it did along with my general laziness getting the better of me. And I hope you guys enjoyed this. To me, this chapter was somewhat okay. But again, fight centric chapter, not exactly my thing XP I've also been reading this thing up and down checking for mistakes. If you guys see some, please point them out so I can correct said mistakes.

The battles are meh in my taste, but I feel story is more important than long ass fight scenes that can last a chapter, and I'm talking about fights between two people only and not various individuals like what I did here. Some of said fights can go thirty thousand words long. I mean, what the hell!?

Granted, I'm working to improve on this aspect of mine. Anyway, that's it for this time. Now then...

Vlad stepping into the fray?! Jeanne and Arthur meet up with Gilgamesh?! And a new Master-Servant duo has appeared?! Look forward to the next chapter! :D


	8. Act I-8: Red vs Black II

_**AN: Here comes CH8! Please read and review! :)**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8:**_

 ** _Red vs Black II_**

* * *

If there was one thing Jeanne had to say about the man standing in front of her with his arms crossed and glaring directly at her with his crimson-colored eyes, it was that he was extremely prideful.

Given his identity, she suppose she couldn't judge him for it. The King of Heroes was one of the oldest figures, if not the oldest figure, in human history to be considered a hero. In a world where age was equivalent to power, one could say that he was indeed the most powerful being to ever live. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it, not with his capabilities that is. And from what she had seen during his battle with Berserker, that was only the tip of the iceberg as they say.

As such, she decided she would approach him as peacefully as possible, with her asking Arthur that he too behave.

And that led to their current predicament.

"Hoh? So you are here to tell me that you are accusing one of my allies of treason against myself and the others?"

"Not accusing, telling." Jeanne replied. "According to the information from the grail, one of the Masters from the Red Faction is responsible for the strange events that caused my summoning in the first place such as the rogue Servants."

That caught the attention of the Golden King, remembering the other night where he had fought the Black Knight. He still had a score to settle with him, but for now he focused his attention on the matter before him.

"Do you realize that there's one problem with that logic of yours woman?" Gilgamesh began, catching the young saint's attention. "You said it yourself, you received the information from the grail, the very same grail that is in the hands of the ones my Master and her allies call the Black Faction."

Seeing her freeze up slightly, he smiled as he continued.

"So tell me woman, how is it that you are sure about that which you received is legitimate in the first place? That it's just not a fabrication that the Black Faction themselves have created in order to turn you against us?"

"..."

Truth be told, even she wasn't sure of how to respond to that. There was always a nagging feeling in the back of Jeanne's mind that told her that perhaps the information given to her by the grail could perhaps been mistaken or even an outright lie forged by the Masters of Black in order to turn her attention at the Red Faction. However, she decided to ignore said feeling and decided to follow up on it since it was the only lead she had at the time.

However... when she had spoken with Lancer back at the Castle, she also felt like she could trust him. Not because he was a fellow believer in God like her, she had already met many people like that who were still her enemies on the battlefield, but because she felt like that despite his reputation and how he presented himself, Vlad the Impaler was above all else, a soul who believed in good.

Even if some of the actions he took in life were considered extreme or brutal, she doubted he would be part of a plot that could potentially endanger a great number of innocents. All it took for her to know that was just speaking with him. Even if the way he presented himself left much to be desired, she could still feel the noble soul hidden underneath.

As such, she was sure that he and his allies did not try to mislead her in any way. And so, she now knew how to respond to the Golden King's inquiry.

"No, I believe they wouldn't attempt such a thing." Jeanne began. "You forget something Archer. A Ruler-Class Servant is only summoned when the Holy Grail War's outcome could potentially endanger the world as a whole. You should know this by now. Your allies do, your enemies do, I doubt either side would wish harm on the entire world just for the sake of their wish."

"You are naive. You would do well to remember that evil exists within the hearts of all men and women in this world, and that humanity itself is a selfish lot by nature. Some would go to the darkest lengths to get what they desire." Gilgamesh stated.

He knew better than anybody else as to what lengths someone would go for just to get what they wanted.

"So too does people's capacity for good and selflessness exist. That is something you yourself cannot deny either King of Heroes." The female blonde stated resolutely, to which the Golden King merely gave her a look before huffing in annoyance.

"Hmph. Indeed, fools commit foolish acts that can either strengthen humanity or destroy it. I suppose it's merely a matter of how much either one would go far in the end." He mused.

Jeanne looked at him slightly confused. The way he had spoken that was as if he was remembering something from his past, but she couldn't be too sure due to the expression on his face being the same it was since he first gazed upon her. Which was an angry frown to be exact. She noted that unlike with Lancer, Archer of Red was someone more difficult to read though she already understood the basic nature of his being.

"So then, pray tell, name the one who you are accusing of having committed treason against us and thus broken the rules of this Holy Grail War."

"Does this mean that you are willing to hear us out on this matter?"

"Did I stutter?" Gilgamesh said annoyed. "If I asked for the name of the one you believe to be responsible for the strange events, then I believe the answer to be quite obvious. Or is it that I need to simplify my dialogue so that your mind can understand?"

Jeanne only let out a quiet growl. There was no need to be so rude was there? She was only reaffirming his intentions just to be sure.

Unfortunately, Arthur took the Golden King's words the wrong way as he spoke out.

"Continue to insult my Master Archer and you will have to deal with me."

"Hoh? So the so-called King of Knights is issuing a challenge to me?" Gilgamesh smirked. Ever since their first meeting, he had been wondering how powerful an opponent the Knight in front of him was. Just by looking at his sword, he could tell it was one of superb quality. No mere warrior would be able to wield such a magnificent blade. As such, he believed that perhaps Saber would be able to provide him some suitable entertainment should they fight.

"Stop it Saber! We're not here to fight remember?" Jeanne reprimanded, calling the Knight by his class name instead.

"I know that, but if he continues to act as he does, I have a feeling I won't be able to restrain myself any longer." Arthur replied.

If he were to describe the feeling he had right now, perhaps it could best be called as "Hate at First Sight". Though perhaps hate was too strong a word. That said, Archer's attitude just annoyed him to no end as brief as their interactions with each other have been. He respected him as a warrior after the night with Berserker, but other than that there was only the irked feeling he would get everytime he looked at the Golden King, likely being the result of his attempted attack on Jeanne. Yes, that was probably it.

"That's the spirit!" Gilgamesh praised with a wild grin. "Do not allow a mere woman to command you, one who calls himself a king. If wish to strike me down, then so shall it be! Though be warned that there will be consequences for making such an attack on the one true king of this world."

"That's laughable coming from you Archer. Have you forgotten that your Master is also of a woman?" Hearing that caused the Golden King's smile to sour as he gave off an annoyed growl.

"Though she may be a woman, Reines is a respectable one. As such, I don't mind following her orders." He then eyed Ruler with a smirk and glint in his eyes. "And until she fills out the way your Master has, she is but a child in my eyes."

Jeanne covered herself slightly in embarrassment, giving a look of disgust towards Gilgamesh in the process, as Arthur replied to his statement.

"That's not an excuse." He pointed out, together with Excalibur being directed at the Golden King's throat. "And turn your eyes away from my Master you fiend less I cut them out myself and burn them."

"Oh? I dare you to try then King of Knights."

Both men glared at each other for a good long minute, waiting for the other to make a move. They only snapped out of it when a voice called out to both of them.

"If you're both done, can we get back to what were discussing?" Jeanne spoke out in a somewhat weary tone. Hearing that, both decided to stand down for the time being but not before giving each other a glare, which was added by a smirk in the Golden King's case.

Seeing this only caused the young saint to sigh to herself. What was it with men and their need to pick a fight with others? Even those they barely knew? Even Gilles had been prone to such things and he was a gentlemen for most of the time they served their country together. At least, he was always presented himself as such whenever she was around that is.

"Fine then, what's the name of the traitor...?" The Golden King stated, and the blonde-haired girl spoke out.

"According to the Holy Grail, his name is Shirou Kotomine."

* * *

Dust began settling after Mordred and Siegfried's Noble Phantasms leveled the entirety of the front gate of the castle.

"Ugh... damn it all!"

There stood Mordred, her armor now somewhat dirtied and ragged thanks to the clash. Though her attack was able to overpower her opponent's due to it being more concentrated, the explosion caused by the impact was still strong enough to cause damage to herself.

But that wasn't what was upsetting her at the moment. It was the fact that her foe had survived her attack.

"You really should be more careful alright~?"

Looking up, she saw Saber of Black being carried from behind by Berserker of Black, the pinkette giving her comrade a rather sly look. The two of which were currently floating in the air thanks to the latter's ability to fly due to her dragon wings.

Just as he was consumed by the crimson lightning, Siegfried was pulled away from the blast by Elizabeth, the latter of which was able to temporarily shake off Berserker of Red for the time being and come to his aid. Still, the explosion caught them, and she would have been caught up in the attack as well, but since her comrade was in front of her when it hit, he took the brunt of it himself.

"My apologies, I underestimated the full extent of my opponent's power." Saber, or rather, Siegfried spoke in reply. Truthfully, he was somewhat embarrassed by it but didn't show it on his face. "However, now that I do know, the end result will now be different."

"Bastard...! Are you insulting me...?!" Mordred clenched her free hand into a fist while tightening the grasp she had on Clarent.

Siegfried also noticed something off about her. Just now when his opponent had spoken, he could hear faint gasps in between. Looking closely, he noticed that she was actually breathing in heavily. Though it didn't look she was injured all that much, something was troubling her physically. Perhaps using her Noble Phantasm proved to be quite taxing on her?

Mordred on the other hand was only thinking about what she should be doing next. She could try using Clarent once more, but she decided she should save a second blast for another time as using twice in a row may end up affecting her ability to perform well. Clarent Blood Arthur was an attack that caused her great pain everytime she used it.

Luckily for her though, her Master was a competent enough magi. Using it once only made her somewhat tired but strong enough to put up a fight if she had to. She only needed a moment to catch her breath before her fatigue would go away. However, using it twice in a row would probably pushing her luck, and she decided not to test that right now, not in the situation she was in at the moment.

In contrast to her however, Saber of Black looked no worse for wear. Other than his armor looking slightly singed and broken thanks to the blast, he looked to be okay enough to continue the battle despite taking the brunt of the explosion.

 _'Just what the hell is he...!? This just like that time with Lancer...!'_ She thought. Though Berserker of Black's aid may have factored into it, but she was sure her attack made contact with him! So why was it that he seemed okay!?

* * *

"It looks like that charm you gave Saber earlier worked to his advantage." Darnic commented as he and Caster observed the ongoing events through the latter's crystal ball.

"Truthfully, I initially thought that it would have been a waste of time." Caster replied. "The great hero Siegfried was said to have been an invincible hero during life, with his only weakness being a specific spot on his back. Giving him a charm that would make his defenses even stronger than what it already is seemed like a fruitless endeavor, but now I see that it was not."

She noted that Saber of Red was quite powerful in her own right. Had her attack connected without her protection charm, she doubted that Saber of Black would have been as alright as he was right now. Perhaps he would have been still capable of fighting afterwards, just not looking as pristine as he did at the moment.

Either way, she proved herself to be something of a threat. That said, she was also rather beautiful and cute looking. Once her helmet came down, Caster had not expected that someone so violent and hot-blooded as the blonde to look like that. Then again, considering who her father was, perhaps she shouldn't be surprised. Though she had a distaste for men due to her past, she had to admit that the King of Knights was rather handsome.

She found it a shame that he was part of a neutral party alongside his daughter being part of the opposing team. Though in the latter's case, she had the ability to perhaps get her to fight alongside her and her allies.

Caster continued to ponder to his idea within her mind as she continued to observe what was happening outside.

* * *

"RAAAAAAAAGH!"

With a mighty roar, Berserker of Red leaped into the air as he was poised to strike both Saber and Berserker of Black.

 ***CLANG***

"I don't think so my raging friend!"

Appearing from the sky on his hippogriff, Astolfo threw his spear at Berserker of Red, causing a direct hit as the Servant of Madness was blown back by the unexpected assault from the young paladin. Berserker quickly recovered from his stupor and landed right beside Mordred.

"Saber, Berserker, are you both alright~?" The male pinkette asked as both he and his two comrades landed on a spot a distance away from their two foes. "I saw what happened and came as soon as I could, but it looks like I didn't need seeing as you both look fine to me."

"We're both fine, there's no need to fret my friend." Siegfried replied as Astolfo looked up in wonder. This was the first time he had heard Saber speak. To be honest, he sounded just like what he imagined him to be.

"Speak for yourself!" Elizabeth stated in annoyance, gesturing to her wounds. "That oaf has violated my beautiful smooth skin... He's going to pay for that with his life!"

"Oh my. Well I suppose we can collect on that debt now~" Astolfo stated with a smile as he glanced back at the other two on the field, who were now just joined by the King of Conquerors himself as he landed beside them.

"So then... should we now turn this into a team battle as this war is supposed to be fought as?" The large man said as he grinned. The thought of a three-on-three battle between him and his allies versus the Servants of Red excited him somewhat. It reminded him of one of the reasons he liked riding into battle with his army during his life, as there was an undeniable thrill that one would feel during such an event that even pacifists probably couldn't ignore themselves.

 ***BAM***

Looking up, all saw a blur of green and black shoot past them and crash into right into a pile of debris next to the Servants of Red. Continuing with their gaze, they saw Lancer of Red standing up while dusting himself off and cricking his neck.

"Damn... you're as tough as I remember you Master!" He spoke out as Chiron landed on the ground beside his allies with a smile on his face.

"All that I am is a result of my training, the very same training that I applied to you as well, Achilles." Hearing his name spoken out caused the others to look on in surprise, especially Mordred as she understood as to why she was unable to harm him during that one spar they had with each other.

"That it is...!" Twirling his spear, Achilles got into position once again, not at all bothered that his identity was revealed. "Ready to continue?"

No words were spoken as Chiron got into stance and aimed his bow at his former disciple, the action of which also cued in everyone else to ready themselves for the second bout to begin. A moment of silence passed as neither side made a move.

Said silence was finally broken by the arrival of another onto the field.

The doors to the castle behind the Servants of Black slowly opened. There stood a man with pale hair and skin wearing black clothing. A spear in his hand of unique design. There was only person he could be and who would appear at a time like this.

Lancer of Black...

"Hoh? So you finally show yourself eh Lancer? It's about time you showed your cowardly face. And if I must say, you already look like a dead man." Mordred was the first to speak up, and she spoke in a tone of polite mockery.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Saber." Vlad replied, ignoring the obvious attempt at goading him. "I must say, I'm impressed with the fight you and your allies have put up. Truly, all of you are heroes worth your name and reputation."

"Of course we are! It's the reason why we're all called Heroic Spirits after all!" Iskander boasted with a grin on his face. "Now then, I assume you wish to join in on the fun Lancer? Or do you perhaps wish to surrender to us?"

"I'm afraid I have no intentions of surrendering to you and your allies King of Conquerors." The Servant of the Spear replied once more. "However, I am willing to accept the surrender of your group instead. Those who do will be treated amicably and those who don't will meet the end of my spear."

"Hahaha! I'm afraid that won't be possible my friend, for I intend to take my conquest beyond that of the grail and towards the grand stage that is our world." The larger man declared. "As such, surrender is not possible for one such as me."

"Hmph, in other words you wish to conquer the world." The pale-haired man stated. "Why is that I am not surprised?"

"Well it's in my title after all." Iskander pointed out.

"Indeed. Then I suppose talks are now at an end." Vlad said as he tightened the grip he had on his spear. He looked at his allies and they all immediately understood. Saber and Archer were to remain with him while Rider and Berserker were to chase after any who tried to escape.

Seeing that he was about to ready himself, Iskander said one thing that was loud enough that all his allies could hear.

When he makes a move, get on...

Before Mordred and Achilles could even ask what he meant by that, she was cut off as Lancer stabbed his spear into the ground.

 **"KAZIKLI BEY!"**

 ***SHNNK* *SHNNK* *SHNNK***

"Wha-!?"

The earth suddenly broke apart as hundreds of spears and stakes suddenly pierced through it aiming for the Servants of Red. Taken off guard, Mordred was unable to react properly when one appeared below her.

"Coming through! HYAH!"

Grabbing Mordred by the collar, Iskander threw her onto his shoulder and spurred his chariot into action as lightning burst forth from the divine bulls, stomping through the stakes that tried to pierce them as they flew into the sky.

"Hey! Who asked you to do that?!" The blonde-haired knight demanded as she glared at the King of Conquerors. The way she was saved right now made her feel like she was being treated like a helpless damsel! That was an insult of the highest degree for someone like her!

"Yell at me later! For now we stay clear from being stabbed!" The large man stated in response as he observed the ever growing amount of stakes and spears the suddenly rose from out of nowhere the moment Lancer stabbed his spear into the ground.

"What!? What about those two!?"

 ***SLASH* *SLASH***

Currently, Achilles and Berserker of Red were slicing their way through each stake aimed at them. The former of the duo not even feeling anything from the stakes that did make it through thanks to his invincibility and the latter just swatting away anything because he was... well, Berserker.

"As if I'm running away from something like this!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Both men bellowed out into the night sky.

"Those two will be fine! Worry about our friends in the sky!"

Hearing that, Mordred looked around and saw Rider of Black and Berserker of Black chasing after them.

"Damn it, with such limited room, this may prove difficult even for someone like me!" Mordred pointed out. Since both she and Rider of Red were standing in the limited space that was his chariot, there wasn't much room to maneuver herself in order to attack, especially since she was a swordsman and not a bowman.

"Hehe, think your father could do better than you?"

"What?!" Smirking as he heard her reaction, Rider knew that the mere mentioning of her father and a comparison to him would spur her into action.

"Haha! What do you think the King of Knights would have to say should he see you fretting over your situation like this?"

Mordred could only respond to him with a glare, clearly angered by the implication that her father would be able to do better than her in this situation where she herself was worrying about the situation. As much as she wanted to stab the King of Conquerors for the insult, she held herself back and focused her attention back towards their two pursuers.

"What should we do about them?"

"First we put some distance between ourselves and Lancer." Rider began. "That ability of his has a one kilometer radius. Outside of it, he can't summon those things to stab us to death with."

"And you know this how?"

"I read the file!" The large man grinned as he noted that they should have been far enough by now. He then spurred the bulls to fly upwards. "Now then, when I give you the signal, jump!"

"What!? What do you mean by-!?"

Turning about in a way that could've caused whiplash for some, the King of Conquerors grinned wildly as he charged their pursuers head on. Looking back and forth between them and their opponents, she realized what the large man was planning as she formed a grin of her own.

"Alright then, I'll listen to you this one time Rider!" She declared. "Don't let it go to your head!"

"Haha! That's the spirit!"

On the other hand, on Black Servant's side...

"Should we be this far out from the castle?" Elizabeth questioned as she sat behind her ally on his mount. Though she had the ability to fly, she wouldn't have been able to catch up to Rider of Red's chariot on her own. Thus, she decided to hitch a ride upon the young paladin's hippogriff. That, and she really wanted the chance to be able to ride such a wondrous beast. This was the first time she had seen such a thing with her own eyes!

"Who knows~?" Astolfo replied. "All I know is that we're going to keep them busy while Lancer and Archer take care of our friends back at the castle.

It was then that both saw the chariot they were chasing suddenly turn about and heading straight for them.

Seeing what was coming, Astolfo and Elizabeth quickly avoided being rammed by the chariot, both stopping mid-flight as they saw observed what Rider of Red was suddenly doing.

"What was he thinking? As if ramming us like that would have worked!"

"I agree... Huh!? Berserker, watch out!"

"Huh? WHAT THE-!?"

 ***CLANG***

With an audible sound, Saber of Red fell and crashed into Berserker of Black with her weapon poised. Luckily enough for the female pinkette, she was able to react just in time and parry the blow with her spear. However, said action caused by the former resulted in the latter falling off from her spot behind the young paladin.

"Yo Berserker! Shall we dance!?" Mordred declared as she held on tightly to her opponent, in the process preventing her wings from spread out and thus causing both of them to fall down to the earth below.

"We can't dance in the sky you idiot!" Elizabeth retorted as she struggled to release herself. "Let go of me you damn tomboy princess! Girls shouldn't even have this level of strength in them! Especially someone as small as you!"

"Hah?! What was that?!" Did this bitch just call her a "princess" of all things?!

Seeing what was happening, Astolfo motioned to rescue his friend, but was cut off when he was suddenly cut off from doing so thanks to Rider of Red's interference.

"Not so fast my friend, we still have to finish our bout from earlier wouldn't you agree?"

"Hehe, I suppose that's true. " The young paladin stated with a crooked smile. It looks like he would just have to have faith in Berserker's own abilities being able to pull her out from her current predicament.

And so, the battle between the Servants of the Mount resumed.

* * *

"This is the best humanity had to offer...?"

Inside the castle, Julian Ainsworth stood by a window that overlooked the battlefield. While he was impressed by the abilities of the Servants, he was off put by some of the personalities, with Rider of Black and Berserker of Black being his two prime targets. The former was very much a happy-go-lucky fool while the latter on the other hand was something of a spoiled brat.

Still, he noted that they were useful when they were needed. That said more about them compared to others who were similar.

 _'Continue fighting on as you wish, nothing shall change the fact that we are the ones destined to win...'_

Suddenly, Assassin appeared before him while kneeling. Julian looked her over as his mind began thinking about his Servant.

Though to be precise, it was Servants in a sense. His Servant's identity was Hassan-I-Sabbah, but not the original, just one out of the nineteen people in history who took his name. The Hassan that he summoned was one who mastered a great deal of skills and learned various forms of study in order to help with his profession. However, in doing so, he ended up creating various split personalities within himself in order to contain the knowledge he had gathered within his mind.

This would later end up manifesting as Assassin's Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya: Delusional Illusion, which granted him the ability to manifest as over eighty different people at the same time. A very useful ability for those who wish to deceive and observe their enemies with numbers.

"Master, I have news to report." The Assassin before him stated, this one in particular being a female with dark blue hair who called herself by no name. In order to differentiate her from the others, Julian decided to call her Asako. It was derived from Assassin and the Japanese habit of adding "-ko" to some girl's names, the latter of which he learned while studying in the backwater country of the east.

He wondered to himself why he even did that, but perhaps was being influenced by a certain someone he knew. Said someone came from the oriental nation where he studied, so maybe that had something to do with it. Either way, he decided to ignore his thoughts and focus the matter before him.

"Go right ahead."

"One of our counterparts has fallen."

"What?" He said, an incredulous look on his face.

"It seems like he encountered the enemy Masters, and brashly decided to take a chance in order to kill one of them only to be caught and executed by Archer of Red." She explained as Julian merely sighed.

"Serves him right. Honestly, such fools are worthless to me in this war." He stated as Assassin spoke up.

"To be precise, Lord Darnic ordered us to find out the whereabouts of the enemy Masters."

"Do not try to shift the blame of his failure to others. And Darnic ordered to find out the location, not attack did he not?" He retorted. "Tell the other Assassins to never engage the enemy without _my_ permission unless absolutely necessary."

With that, Assassin nodded and disappeared back into spirit form. It was only then that something came to Julian's mind as he smirked slightly.

"However, we may be able to use this to our advantage. With him dead, the Red Faction will believe that a Servant has finally been taken out. That should give us the element of surprise along with increasing our surveillance capabilities. Perhaps I should be thanking him instead, hehehe...!"

It was then that Julian's cell phone suddenly began ringing in his pocket. Though he like many other magi held a distaste for modern technology, he knew enough that such inventions had their uses. Thus, he decided to keep a phone in his pocket for the times where he needed to communicate with someone through non-magical means, especially after one of his allies insisted on it.

Taking it out, he looked to see who it was and widened his eyes when he saw who was calling. Immediately, the young man answered it.

"What is it?"

...

"He wants me to do what?"

...

"Very well then, I'll see to it." The young man hanged up and made his way through the castle.

* * *

Back to the two Servants of Red, the duo were currently fending off Lancer of Black's assault.

 ***SLASH* *SLASH***

Both Achilles and Berserker of Red quickly moved about the battlefield avoiding stakes upon stakes upon stakes that rose from the ground aimed at them. And in the former's case, aimed directly at his heel. Given that Lancer of Black now knew of his identity, he wouldn't have been surprised if decided to keep aiming for the one spot that caused his own downfall in life.

"RAAAAGH!"

"Hahaha! Is that the best you've got!?"

That said, Lancer of Black's attacks was merely inconveniencing the two warriors as they moved about.

"I see that your student is quite the battle maniac." Vlad commented while glancing at Chiron, who merely smiled in response, before turning his gaze back towards the two warriors before him. As expected, Lancer of Red was quite agile. With his given identity, it was not that surprising. What surprised him even more though was that Berserker of Red was incredibly agile for someone of his size.

Much like his fellow Servant of Red, the mad warrior was easily cutting through and avoiding the stakes aimed at him as he moved. And said movements were not those of what one would expect from an insane warrior, but from an ace of combat.

 _'How magnificent...!'_ Vlad thought. Though they were enemies, had to give the two Servants of Red the respect due to them. Had they not been on opposing sides, he would have liked to have them as his allies. It was a shame they had to die.

"Archer." Vlad began as he gazed slightly towards his ally.

"Yes." Knowing what Lancer was about to say, Chiron nodded as he aimed his bow at his former pupil.

 ***SHNNK* *SHNNK***

 ***SLASH***

"Hah!" Not losing a beat, the green-haired spearsman struck down the incoming projectiles aimed directly at him all the while continuing to evade the numerous stakes directed towards his heel.

"It's gonna take a lot more than this to kill me Master!" Achilles called out before grabbing a broken stake and throwing it directly at his former Master.

Chiron merely tilted his head as the piece beamed past him and burying itself into a wall. Smiling, he saw Achilles leap high into the air and poised to strike him directly.

 ***CLANG***

His attack was intercepted by Saber, the latter of which had just recuperated enough to take part in the battle once again. Taking advantage of Lancer's surprise, Siegfried used everything he had and threw a hard punch directly at the Hero of Troy.

While it didn't result in any damage, it was strong enough to send the green-haired spearsman flying into a wall. Once he recovered, Lancer of Red grinned wildly at the two.

"Hahaha! I'll take the both of you on!"

Seeing that both Archer and Saber were taking care of Lancer of Red, Vlad turned his attention towards Berserker of Red was now currently standing right in front of him.

A large imposing figure, he noted that the Servant of Red right before him was someone who was greatly feared in life. The amount of destruction he witnessed Berserker perform, his general battle prowess, and the state of his madness all confirmed it for Lancer. Judging from his armor and general appearance, he was able to deduce that Berserker was a man born in the far east, perhaps in the country known as China or Japan.

"It seems that you are my opponent." The pale-haired man began. "Isn't that right, Berserker?"

The larger man only responded by swinging his halberd. Seeing, this Lancer parried the incoming blow before leaping back and raising his hand forward.

 ***SHNNK* *SHNNK* *SHNNK***

Several stakes quickly rose from the ground aimed directly at Berserker's vital spots. Seeing this, the Servant of Madness twirled his massive weapon around himself as he destroyed all incoming dangers aim directly at him.

Several soon turned to a dozen, then turned to a hundred. It didn't look like Berserker was tiring out at all.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Hmph!" Seeing getting close, Lancer began parrying blows with the Chinese warrior. Combining his own martial prowess and his ability to summon stakes from the ground, Vlad the Impaler displayed a great amount of skill as he held off the Servant of Madness.

Meeting him blow per blow though, it was a tougher experience than what Lancer expected it to be. Quickly, he summoned more and more stakes from all around his foe in order to pierce him.

A futile effort as the latter's reaction speed allowed him to dodge each attempt at stabbing him. Despite how he appeared, a tactical mind was hidden underneath all his rage and insanity. Berserker would not allow himself to struck in any form due to his Master's orders. As such, his body instinctively performed to its very best in order to avoid any sort of damage.

"RAAAAGH!"

 ***SLASH***

"Tch...!" Lancer leaped back once more as he narrowly avoided being beheaded. He would need to end this soon less Berserker get the better of him. Leading him to an open space, the pale-haired man readied himself with a single thought going through his mind.

 _'Let's see him cut these down!'_

Stakes were once more raised from the ground. This time, they were not in the hundreds, but within the thousands. Despite his skill, Berserker was quickly surrounded and encased in a cone of them.

 ***BOOM***

It was not meant to be. The mad warrior blasted apart his imprisonment much to Lancer's shock. There stood Berserker with his weapon in a different form compared to what he just saw. Earlier, it was a Halberd. Now, it was in the shape of a bow.

A bow which the mad warrior then aimed at his opponent...

"RAAAAGH!" He roared as he energy began gathering at its tip, and the Servant of the Lance quickly deduced that it was Berserker's Noble Phantasm. Readying himself, he was about to summon more stakes when he noticed something.

So focused on his opponent, the Servant of Madness failed to notice several constructs heading straight for him.

"...!"

Unable to react in time, golems grabbed onto Berserker and rendered him unable to move due to their combined might. Seeing an opportunity, Lancer made his move.

 ***SHNNK***

Stakes rose from the ground and impaled the mad warrior in the gut. It didn't stop there, as once more the Servant of Madness was encased in a cone of stakes together with his captors. Lancer then smirked and motioned his fingers one last time.

 ***SHNNK***

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The sound of flesh being impaled multiple times in a row echoed from the spot where Berserker was trapped, a loud roar coming from the Servant of Madness as light from the moon shined brightly upon the castle.

* * *

"That went well I suppose."

Walking back towards the sight of the main battle, Jeanne pondered the result of the meeting they had with the King of Heroes.

"Are sure this was a wise move?" Her partner asked. He doubted that the Golden King was part of the group responsible for events going behind the scenes of the Grail War due to his reaction to the Black Knight. What he saw then was genuine anger, and he knew that the King of Heroes would most likely try to eliminate the Black Knight once he saw him again.

"Perhaps not, but I guess we'll find out soon won't we?" She replied.

After revealing the name of the suspected traitor, the young saint asked that the Masters of Red take caution with him. The King of Heroes on the other hand merely laughed off her concern and said that should that none would be able to threaten him. Truly, his arrogance knew no bounds. But that was to be expected of someone like him.

At any rate, Gilgamesh agreed to keep an eye on him on the condition that Ruler was to remove the Command Spells that she had which held dominion over him. When asked that, she quickly retorted that she could not do such a thing. Because of her response, the Golden King replied that he would make no promises and left.

Sighing, she hoped that he would continue to do so in spite of what he said. For now, she needed to focus her attention back to current events such as the battle that was ongoing between Red and Black Factions. A good amount of time had passed since it all began. So far, she had sensed nothing that required her and Arthur to take action. And that was something of a relief as that meant that there was

"Jeanne." She stopped in her tracks when Arthur suddenly laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm? What is it?" The young man merely pointed his finger upwards, causing the saint to look up into the sky.

There, she saw something falling down. Said something was a combination of pink, black, and red. Said combination were none other than Berserker of Black and Saber of Red, the former of which having successfully released herself from the latter's grip on her.

 ***BOOM***

An audible sound, Mordred landed right in front of the duo, the strength of the force at which she landed caused a crater to form. Dusting herself up as she stood, she shot an angry glare at Berserker of Black who was currently floating in the air thanks to her wings.

"Hey you! I dare you to call me a princess again!"

"What? Aren't you one? I mean, isn't your father King-" Elizabeth began but was cut off by the Knight of Treachery.

"He's got nothing to do with this!" She yelled again in response as she pointed her blade at the pinkette. "Call me a princess again and I will end you life very slowly!"

She then felt something off. It was only then that Mordred noticed both Jeanne and Arthur standing right behind her, with both blondes sporting rather incredulous looks on their faces as they witnessed what just happened. Clearly, the latter of the duo did not expect to see her like this. She too was frozen slightly in shock as she also had the exact same thoughts.

"Why are you here...?" The Knight of Treachery demanded, directing Clarent at the duo. Seeing this, her father narrowed his eyes at her giving her a hard stare.

"Calm yourself before you do something you regret." Arthur replied, his tone somewhat scolding. "Do remember that myself and my Master are a neutral party in this Holy Grail War whose role is to ensure that a certain amount of order is held during it."

"Tch, I suppose you are." Mordred clicked her tongue while turning her attention back towards her flying opponent. "If that's the case, then stay out of this!"

"I never intended on interfering." The white knight replied, causing Mordred to scowl even more. A scowl that was unseen by the former but not by his Master who was frowning at the two, not liking the tense atmosphere between parent and child.

...!

"Ah! A Servant has just disappeared...!" Jeanne suddenly cried out, catching the attention of all those present.

"What!? And which Servant is that!?" Mordred demanded.

"It was... Berserker of Red." She revealed, causing Mordred to flinch slightly.

Having lost him, that meant that the Red Faction was now one Servant short of their total fighting strength. Berserker had proven himself to be quite a fierce warrior too, something that even she respected him for. Did someone like Lancer actually take him down?

"Haha~! I knew uncle could do it!" Elizabeth cheered, childishly sticking her tongue out at her blonde foe just to rub the fact in her face.

"Don't get a big head! You still have to deal with me!" The red knight retorted as she aimed her sword at Berserker of Black, not taking kindly to her insults. Seeing this, the latter also got into a fighting position as the other two present began distancing themselves for what they believed to be the beginning of a fight.

 _"That's enough Saber."_ Mordred froze when she heard the call of her Master's voice.

"Hah...!? What do you mean that's enough!?" She yelled aloud, causing the other three to pause and look at her confused.

 _"El-Melloi is calling for a retreat for now."_ Kairi began. _"After losing Berserker, he doesn't want anymore casualties on our side unless he can help it. He already ordered both Rider and Lancer to come back to the hideout with us."_

 _"Then let me at least finish this! Allow me to even the score!"_

 _"No need, Archer took down Assassin earlier when he tried to jump us, so that already makes us even with them."_ Her master explained, causing Mordred to frown at the mention of the Golden Servant. Whoever he was, she didn't like him. It wasn't just because he called her a little girl, but something else. Something which she couldn't explain very well at the moment.

 _"Tch... alright then. As you say Master."_ She complied telepathically as she turned her back on both her opponent and the other two present.

"Hey! I thought we were going to fight!" Elizabeth called out.

"My allies have called for a retreat, so be grateful that you won't have to face me." She stated, before turning to look at her father. "I will settle things with you some other time. Do not forget it."

Arthur didn't respond as she disappeared into spirit form. Afterwards though, he only sighed as his mind began thinking.

 _'Well, I suppose I should have suspected as much...'_

"If that's the case, then I'll be heading back too." Berserker of Black stated as she flew off into the sky, waving a little goodbye to the two blondes. Jeanne stared after her for a few moments before turning to face Arthur who was looking rather moody once more. Seeing this, she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Let's look around the area before we head home shall we? I would like to make sure nothing is left that would prove the existence of the Holy Grail War to the people." She said, causing the young man to look at her and smile back at her in response.

"Of course, just lead the way."

With that, the duo went on their way.

* * *

"Aw~! It's over already...?"

Inside a cave and seated upon a pile of skeletons, a blonde-haired little girl watched the events unfold and end at Yggdmillennia castle through a crystal ball. A pouting expression on her face that showed her annoyance at seeing her entertainment for the night had ended.

"Oh well, I suppose things played out well enough." She said. Things were a lot more different now compared to the Grail War she fought in. Fourteen Servants, even she hadn't thought about the possibility of such a thing. There were a lot more interesting Servants running about too. Such as the one known as Rider of Black who looked like a girl despite being a boy. She found him to be quite entertaining.

"Still, none of them could compare to Saber. Ah, my prince~!"

Fantasizing about the white knight, the little girl began rolling herself across the ground like a lovesick maiden. Had she done so in any other location other than a cave filled to the brim with skeletons, perhaps one could call the sight adorable.

"But, those two girls..."

She stopped rolling about and sat up with a half-lidded look on her face as her mind began thinking about Ruler and Saber of Red. Thinking about both caused the little girl to smile to herself as she laid back down with her arms spread out.

"I suppose I can let them play around with Saber a little bit since it looks he's fond of them both. It would be bad if I hogged him all to myself~"

Grabbing a skull that was close to her hand, she brought close to her face and began speaking to it as though it were alive.

"Besides... when everything is set and done, he'll come back to me eventually... Ahahaha~!"

The sweet laughter of a little girl echoed throughout the cavern, the laughter of a girl named Manaka Sajyou, the very same girl who had been stabbed in the back and left for dead by her most beloved Servant all those years ago...

* * *

"Looks like the fighting's over." The blue-haired Lancer mused as gazed at his Master. "Where she should we be heading next?"

"Who knows?" Ayaka replied, adjusting her glasses slightly. "I was hoping to meet Ruler tonight, but I don't know where she is. I think she would have been somewhere near where the fighting was taking place, but if we get close to the castle, then the Black Faction may mistake us for an enemy and attack. And I can't go to the Red Faction either considering that he's there."

"Speaking of which, you sure this Ruler is even going to listen to us?"

Lancer had a point. Just because Ruler was the mediator for the Holy Grail War, it didn't mean there was a chance of he or she helping them out. Legitimate speaking, that person was part of the Holy Grail War. Meaning that there was a chance that because of that, there could have been a chance that Ruler would not make a move until after he or she is convinced of the threat that person represented to the world.

"I don't know either. But they're the best person we've got in stopping that person from making his wish come true." She sighed to herself. "But, if worse comes to worse, I guess we'll just have to fight this one by ourselves."

She slightly dreaded the idea. Even if she readied herself for such an event, what were the chances of her and Lancer succeeding if that were the case?

"Fine by me. I think I like the idea of being the underdog in a big fight." Her Servant grinned happily, causing Ayaka to roll her eyes at the blue-haired man standing right beside her. Her Servant really was entertaining the idea wasn't he? She could see it in the look on his face.

"You would like that wouldn't you? Idiot."

"Haha!"

Soon enough, the duo left the rooftop by leaping off it with Ayaka being carried in Lancer's arms. Given their circumstances, it was better to be on the move than remain any longer after all.

 _'Now then, what should we be doing next...?'_

* * *

Back inside the throne room, the Masters and Servants of Black were all gathered together as Lancer spoke.

"Well done everyone. We have successfully driven off the invaders from our land tonight." He declared with the tone of the sovereign that he once was. "And aside from losing one of our Assassins to the enemy, all Servants are ready and accounted for. On that, I praise you all and call this night a victory!"

It truly was a cause for celebration. Not one of them had died, and the enemy had lost Berserker of Red. Having lost a powerful ally, the Masters of Black were sure that the Red Faction was greatly decreased in their fighting capability. Knowing that, how else would they react other than one of happiness? Even Gordes and Celenike, who Caules found to be both tense in their own ways, were both smiling.

"But of course, was there any doubt?" The latter commented as her smile turned into a smirk.

"You didn't do anything though~" Astolfo pointed out, causing the grey-haired woman to glare at him. Such a scene only caused Caules to chuckle quietly to himself along with Elizabeth, Chiron, and his sister.

"I must thank you for the assist Caster." Vlad said to the hooded woman who stood beside Roche. "Without you, Berserker would have taken longer to deal with."

"I wasn't responsible for those golems Lancer." Caster replied as she gestured to the only non-member of Yggdmillennia. "Assassin's Master took control of a few that were already beaten but functional and made them act according to his will."

"Is that so?" Lancer glanced at the young man known as Julian. "Well then, I suppose I should be thanking you then young man. Without you, victory against Berserker would have taken me a bit longer than it already had."

"Think nothing of it, I only acted according to our pact as allies chasing after the same goal." Julian waved off. "Besides, it was young Master Roche and Caster that created those golems in the first place. I only made them move beyond their limits is all."

"True. It was a team effort." Darnic came forward and looked at the trio with a genuine smile on his face. "For that, I commend all three of you. With this, we are one step closer to winning this Holy Grail War."

The others all nodded at this. Soon afterwards, the group meeting was dismissed, and everyone went back to their respective rooms.

As he walked through the castle with both hands in his pockets. Stopping when he was sure that no one was observing him, he took out his right hand.

In said hand was a card, a card that held the image of what looked to be a horned werewolf looking creature dressed in simple garb in a hunched over stance. The word "Berserker" was written upon it. At first glance, it would have appeared to be a simple card. But the word imprinted on it implied something else.

 _'Closer indeed Darnic. With this, the first phase is complete...'_

* * *

"Welcome back, I assume everything went according to plan?"

Inside Shirou's personal room within the Red Faction's villa, Assassin of Red sat on her Master's bed as he entered the room.

"I suppose it did in a way." The young priest said as he sat down on a chair and allowed himself to relax, taking off his red cape in the process. "We've managed to make an estimate of their total combat strength from what we've seen, but at the cost of Berserker."

"Oh my, that is a dear lost." Assassin smiled as she got up, walked around, and stood behind her Master's chair. "It would have been better had it been that mad writer was the one whom we lost. It would have been more beneficial to us wouldn't you agree?"

"Now now Queen of Assyria, there's no need for such cruel remarks." Shirou replied, smiling somewhat at her words. "Caster may have his eccentricities, but he's at least loyal enough to our cause in his own unique way."

"But I only speak the truth~" The raven-haired woman smiled as she began massaging her Master's shoulders. Shirou couldn't figure out for himself why she would do such things for him when he wasn't asking for it, especially given her background making it somewhat more difficult to understand. But at the same time, he didn't mind it all that much. Such a thing helped relax himself in both body and mind.

"At any rate, what should we be doing now? With part of the plan now complete, should we move on to the next phase?" Assassin asked, causing Shirou to contemplate for a moment or so before smiling.

"Not yet. I believe it to be too soon to go that far just yet." The young man replied once more. "For now, we take a moment for ourselves and rest."

"If that's the case, then shall we take a tumble~?" Assassin teased, smiling at her Master's reaction who looked to be greatly perturbed by her words.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Shirou responded politely to the beautiful woman before him. "Whether I be a fake priest or not, I'm still a man of God after all. And I intend to keep it that way. Thus, I have no desire to participate in any quick trysts."

"Oh? Such a boring man you are~"

* * *

"Drinking already Archer...?"

When she entered her room after a hot shower, Reines did not expect to see Archer, dressed in his casual clothes which consisted of a black jacket, pants and a light-orange shirt, to be drinking wine on the sofa and table within the room. And judging from the bottle casing, the wine came from this villa's own storage cellar rather than her the Golden King's own personal treasury.

"Passing the time by drinking has been one of my many hobbies in life." He mused, lifting the glass in his hand and staring at it. "A friend would often tell me otherwise, saying too much of something is bad for one's health."

"Oh? And how did you respond to this?" The young blonde asked to the elder, sitting beside her Servant as she did so.

"How else? I called that person a fool, saying that there is nothing that I, the one true King, cannot handle! Whether it be ten bottles or a hundred, a thousand even, I will not fall pray to any ailments that plague the common folk when they pursue the same interests as myself."

"Hehe, I suppose that would be something you'd say." She giggled briefly before standing back up again and heading over to her closet. "No peeking alright?"

"I have no intentions of doing such a thing to a mere child." The King of Heroes waved off rather casually as Reines threw a shoe at him. At which he dodged it rather easily as it hit the wall in front of him and fell to the floor.

It always annoyed her greatly that Archer would call her a child despite being already fifteen years old. True, her looks begged to differ, but Reines took that in stride in her belief that just meant she retained her youth a little longer compared to most others.

Still, compared to what she expected of Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, he was somewhat decent for all the arrogance that he held within himself. He was far more decent to her than some of the magi she had met during her young life, especially the old ones whose sense of morality and proper conduct were all but gone from the recesses of their mind thanks to their pursuit of the Akashic Records, otherwise simply known as the Root to others.

"Tell me something Reines," Gilgamesh began, the younger blonde noting that he was calling her by her first name. The only time he did that in the short time she knew him was when he was serious mood.

"What is it?"

"Why do you wish for the Holy Grail?" The Golden King asked. "The Grail only chooses those with a strong desire which they want granted. If so, pray tell what is yours? What could a child like yourself wish for from an all powerful artifact such as the grail."

"You ask me that now of all times?" She stated as she began putting her sleep clothes for the night.

"Call me curious I suppose."

"Well if I were to be honest, I suppose it would be reaching the Akashic Records just like everyone else." Reines began. "To be frank, I've never really believed there to be a root to all things in the complete sense. But, if there's a chance of it existing, I can't help but be curious to see what it would be like."

"You believe in such nonsense? Do you not wish for something even greater?"

"Don't misunderstand me Archer, of course I have greater desires." She stated. "However, I believe in achieving them with my own abilities rather than relying on an artifact like the Grail. There's pride to be held in accomplishing something on your own terms after all. My desire to use the grail to see the Akashic Records is only me using a shortcut for a goal whose path would take too long for me to walk with my own life, and which isn't originally my desire to begin with."

"I see..." Gilgamesh smiled as he drank his wine. "I praise you for your honesty with me Reines. You have earned yourself more of my respect."

"Enough for you to stop calling me little girl?"

"No." The Golden King smirked as he avoided another shoe being thrown at him.

* * *

"Man, losing Berserker so early in the game..."

Inside Waver's office, he, Kairi, and Rider sat apart from one another. The former two looked to be quite tired, with the latter of the trio looking rather disappointed with the outcome of the events that happened.

"We all knew the risks going in." Waver stated. "At least now we know what the fighting capability is, and we've taken down Assassin as well."

It was both a victory and a lost as they say. Though they found the lost of Berserker to be great, they at least found consolation in the fact that they still had the likes of Archer, Lancer and Rider himself in the fray. Waver knew that with both the former and the latter on the same team, victory was all but assured. It was only a matter of making sure that Archer would follow orders during any future conflict. Last thing he wanted was the latter getting killed due to carelessness and arrogance along with any unnecessary mayhem the Golden King would cause if sufficiently angered.

"I really wanted to finish my fight with that paladin." Rider sighed in disappointment. "As much as I found him to be an interesting addition to my army, fighting against him in the sky proved to be quite enjoyable."

"You'll get to finish that one day. For now, we lick our wounds and study what went wrong." His Master said in response to his words.

"Agreed." The other two replied. Soon, the trio began discussing with one another, when suddenly...

"Say, does this place have something to drink?" The necromancer asked. "Sure could use one right about now."

"Oh! That sounds like the perfect way to spend the night of a failed assault!" Rider grinned.

Waver only sighed as he directed both men to the cellar. So much for reviewing the night's events. Well, not like he could scold them for it since he too decided to partake in some drinking. What better way for three men to spend the night after all?

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And that's it for CH8. I'm surprised I got this out as quick as I did. Probably had something to do with me playing FGO a lot lately.

I heard from a friend that a few guys on _Beasts Lair Forums_ gave some critique about this fic on the day I last updated. I'll spare you guys the full details of what I read, just know that one in particular made my heart cry. I'm a very sensitive person XD

I'm just kidding XP Anyway, I don't know if those guys have read all chapters before now, but I'm thankful for the criticism. As an aspiring writer, it helps me work out my flaws and do what I can to improve on them rather than just let them be.

Just know that I didn't think that writing a fanfic with a lot of Servants would make it cool or anything, I just thought it would be a really fun thing to write about. I do things for the entertainment value I find in them. And as a reader of fiction, I know that my writing isn't actually all that great, with the characters and story probably being bland as a result, but I try to improve as I move along. The story of FMB is just one of those attempts. Sucky at first, better in the end. At least, the latter is what I aim for anyway.

Oh, and the sound effects are actually the result of me reading manga a lot during my spare time. I don't even read Batman all that much. I mostly watch the animations and movies about superheroes. Anyway, the sound effects thing has always been a thing of mine ever since I began writing. I try to get rid of that habit as I move along in the future and get better. But until then, its here to stay as it helps me envision the fight better. Without them, I can't think about fights or events as clearly as I would like.

Anyway, that's it for now. Again, please read and review :) And if you can, criticize me. Just not too harsh less my heart start bleeding XD


	9. Act I-9: Day of Repose II

_**AN: Here's Chapter 9 folks! More or less no action compared to the last two, but more of a bonding chapter for some the characters to know each other better. Or just plain gag time given some scenes I've written down XD**_

 ** _Please leave a review :D_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9:**_

 _ **Day of Repose II**_

* * *

 _"Are you sure that you truly wish to continue on this path?"_

 _One day, without anyone noticing it, a stone anvil suddenly appeared out of nowhere in a field of grass just outside the kingdom of Camelot. Buried deep within it to a certain point was a sword of magnificent design. Many of the kingdom's people were enraptured by its looks, and many tried to take the blade but to no avail as they were stopped by a magus associated with their king._

 _According to prophecy that the magus had seen in a dream, only the one true king of Britain will be able to pull out the sword in the stone, for they alone are worthy of it as they shall be the one who will guide the kingdom into a glorious future. And until the day comes when the next king is to be chosen, the blade shall rest here within the stone, unsullied and preserved in its magnificence._

 _A rather preposterous prophecy all things considered, a sentiment shared by many of the land's finest warriors and nobility. However, when Uther Pendragon died without any named heirs, it was declared that the identity of the next king after him was to be decided by pulling out the blade. When first declared, the people merely laughed it off, saying that the sword could be pulled out by anyone._

 _However, it was not meant to be. For no matter how hard one tried, not one person was able to pull out the sword. One participant even tried having multiple strong men pulling it out at the same time, all to no avail. Thus, when it was clear that the sword wasn't going to budge, it was decided that the next king would be decided by a tournament of jousting. Many agreed to this, saying that it was much more honorable that way._

 _And so the sword in the stone was left alone, with most having already given up on pulling out the blade._

 _All except for one that is..._

 _Standing in front of the stone anvil was a young boy, a teenager to be exact. With green eyes full of youth and vigor, blonde hair shining brightly thanks to the sun's rays, the youth stood with a determined look on his face as he stared at the challenge that was placed before him._

 _Some laughed at him as they saw him walk towards the sword in the stone with the intent of pulling it out, telling him that such a thing would be futile as no boy could ever hope to achieve what men twice his age and build couldn't do themselves. He ignored them of course, believing that there was at least merit in trying._

 _When the young boy was about to lay his hand on the sword grip, a voice called out to him and he saw a figure seated atop a nearby rock._

 _Cloaked in white hooded robes, a wooden staff leaning against them, the figure was none other than the boy's mentor._

 _"Pull that sword out, and I guarantee you that the conclusion of the path you will walk will not be one to your liking._ _All things within this world of ours eventually come to an end, whether or not a great hero should decide to rise in order to stave off the inevitable."_

 _His mentor spoke. The boy had known as such, but still..._

 _"Even so, I will not turn my eyes away." The young blonde stated. "With the King having passed on, chaos has ruled over the land over the bid to find his successor. No, even before then, the people have been crying out for justice and order. Bandits and foreign invaders having been swarming our borders lately, attacking and pillaging our people as they make their way deeper into our lands, yet the nobility and knights continue to waste their time on pointless festivities... all in a bid to find out who is worthy among them to becoming our next king."_

 _Gazing upon the jousting arena and numerous bazaars being set up, the young boy merely scoffed at this in irritation._ _He understood that there were times that called for relaxation, for people to rest their weary souls from the chaos, but the boy couldn't help how he was feeling right now since he knew that every moment spent on such things resulted in more and more people suffering from their inaction._

 _"Well considering what you are about do, do you believe yourself to be worthy enough to become king?" His mentor asked once more. "Do you think you have what it takes rule over the land and its people?"_

 _"Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not. I'll found out soon won't I?" He replied, smiling. "If I am not, then I will lend my strength to the one who does become king so long as they are someone worth following. If a am however, then I will do everything in my power to aid the land and its people in order to guide it to a more prosperous future. Even if my end is not one that I would seek, I believe that this is the right choice."_

 _"A foolish one you are." The former merely sighed in amusement. "You've always been like that, even as a mere child... But, I suppose that's why I found you interesting to begin with. Ones such as yourself always prove to be an entertaining lot."_

 _"Foolish am I? Well, when compared to someone who nearly slept with a-"_

 _"That has nothing to do with this and we also agreed to never speak about that again." His mentor replied quickly yet calmly._

 _"Ahaha...!" The boy laughed, and soon t_ _he tension was all but gone, the atmosphere between the two now was only filled silent contemplation about the future of the boy's decision to pull out the sword._

 _"Arthur..." The robed figure began._

 _"I've made my decision Merlin," The boy, now named Arthur, said. "All I ask of you, is for your support both as my mentor and as my friend."_

 _"I suppose I've got no choice do I? You'd be lost without me." Merlin chuckled as Arthur smiled in response. "I shall expect some recompense alright~?"_

 _"Hehe, but of course."_

 _And so, the young blonde held onto the sword tightly with his hand and pulled, successfully taking the sword known as Caliburn out from the stone anvil much to the amazement of those around him who decided to watch him perform the feat. Soon, word spread about how a young boy was able succeed where others older and stronger failed, about how a young squire was now destined to become king._

 _This was the beginning of the hero known as King Arthur..._

* * *

When Jeanne woke up that morning, her first thought for the day was that she really did not expect to see that dream.

Normally as a Servant, she would not be susceptible to such things as a spirit no longer of this world. She concluded that thanks to being the actual Master of one, she was now able to do so through visions of Arthur's past. Such an occurrence was actually quite common with Master-Servant pairs who had a high affinity for one another.

 _'So what he said about becoming king at fifteen was true after all...'_

It wasn't that she doubted his words about the matter. It was just hearing about it and seeing it were two different things altogether. If there was one thing she had to say about what she had witnessed, it was that she found it a little amazing.

As a little girl, she grew up hearing tales of legendary heroes of eras long past, one of those tales being about none other than her Servant. To actually see the moment he pulled out the sword in the stone was awe-inspiring in itself. She couldn't help it, it was the beginning of a man wrapped in myth after all.

What was most noteworthy to her would have been the robed figure that Arthur was with during that time, the one who whom he called Merlin.

Though she couldn't see the face of the legendary magus, something that she was a bit disappointed at thank to her own curiosity, there was something about Merlin that felt oddly familiar to her. But she couldn't tell why that was...

 _'There was something about him that felt strange... What was it?'_

"Jeanne?"

"Eh?"

Remembering her current situation, her mind snapped out from her thoughts and went back to reality. The reality of which was that she had been staring blankly at the food in front of her for a good few moments now.

Having arrived during the early hours of the day, Jeanne fell asleep for a few hours and awoke during the late morning. Currently, it was only Arthur and herself that sat at the dining table as everyone else at the church had already finished up their meals and began doing their daily chores.

"Is there something wrong with the food? I thought I made sure to make it according to your tastes."

"Ah, no there isn't. I was just thinking about something that's all." The young saint replied as she took a bite. Even now she was somewhat taken aback that her partner was a rather great cook. It better than her own at least when she tried the habit for herself the other day.

 _'Wait, why me...?'_ She thought, having realized that she had inadvertently insulted herself in the process. As well as Laeticia to be precise considering that her cooking ability together with Jeanne's own were what formed the latter's current level of skill in the culinary arts.

"Let me guess, you're thinking about what we should be doing next?" The young man stated only for his Master to have shook her head in response.

"No, not really." She began. "Since it's only been a few hours since the battle ended, I doubt either the Red Faction or the Black Faction plan to make any moves so soon, especially with the Red Faction since they have now lost Berserker. I believe they'll try to gather their strength before attacking once more."

"I have to admit, I expected Berserker to last longer than he did. Goes to show you that Lancer is quite a formidable opponent." Arthur commented. Jeanne had told him about the Servant of Red's identity during their observation of the fight.

Lu Bu, the Bastard of Three Fathers, a warrior whose name was synonymous with betrayal. For all the apparent dishonor he collected in life, the Chinese general was an exceptional warrior. Even as a Berserker, he had retained his skills as part of his base fighting instinct. For someone like Lancer to have won over him, someone whose name could be more associated with his sovereignty rather than fighting skills, it spoke a great deal about the latter's abilities.

"Indeed he would be. After all, Lancer is fighting within the country where his legend began. The boost of power he'd receive would be immense as a result." Jeanne replied, taking another bite before swallowing. "It's one of the reasons why I think the grail instructed me to summon you in Britain too. Though we're not in it at the moment, having been summoned there you received a boost in power yourself. If the fighting had taken place there, I'd believe you to be one the strongest Servants around."

"You place me on a pedestal too high." He chuckled. The white knight doubted that he'd be that strong. With Heroic Spirits such as Achilles, Karna, Siegfried, and the legendary King of Heroes Gilgamesh himself running about, he doubted that he'd be that strong in comparison.

At least, depending on the situation of course. One of the many things he learned in life was that, aside from a select few, nothing was really set in stone. A weaker force could easily overcome a stronger force given the right circumstances.

His thoughts then shifted to the rogue faction that was hiding out somewhere within the city or near it. His Master decided that they should wait it out for now since she finished her talk with the King of Heroes. Despite the way he held himself and viewed others, she felt that he was trustworthy enough to see through with her request of keeping an eye on the man known as Shirou Kotomine.

For some reason, whenever he heard the name, Arthur couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. It wasn't fear that he felt, but something else. He was curious to see what kind of person was behind everything strange that was occurring in the Holy Grail War.

All thoughts about that subject quickly vanished when the young man gazed upon his Master's plate. Seeing that it was empty, he smiled and spoke.

"I presume you'll be taking thirds then?"

"Yes please!"

Filling her plate with food and giving it back to her. The young saint smiled as she began eating her third meal. As a farmer's daughter, she had an appetite that could rival five grown men put together. Eating three meals in one sitting proved to be of no consequence to someone like her. Not to mention that she found modern food to be rather delicious as well.

Arthur on the other hand found this trait to be rather amusing in itself as a smile grew on his face.

"Still, you're quite a glutton Master." He suddenly stated. "I feel quite sorry for Laeticia. She's gaining weight and it's not even her fault."

"Geh...!" The young saint froze briefly as an embarrassed look appeared on her face. "I-It's not like that! Laeticia gains the appropriate diet through any meals I eat. Any extra nutrition I take however goes directly to my own reserves of mana."

"Ah, how convenient." The male blonde continued. "I'm sure that she's feeling quite relieved about that fact herself."

Jeanne only pouted at him in response and said. "Dummy."

"Ahaha! My apologies." He laughed as the other blonde huffed in response and decided to finish her meal.

* * *

"Oh man am I bored!"

In a far off location from the city of Trifas, a young man with bright orange hair spoke aloud.

His identity was Robin Hood, the very same Servant who attacked Ruler back in Glastonbury. Currently, the young rogue was walking through the hallways of a large castle by himself, have nothing else to do as his Master had ordered him to do nothing for the time being on account of their leader's orders.

"Just how big is this place...? The Lady Queen's really something to pull all of this off."

"Why is it that you feel the incessant need to talk so loudly?"

Hearing a familiar voice behind him, with green-blonde tresses of hair approaching him with an unamused expression on her face. Her identity was Atalanta, one of the two Servants who fought against Ruler and her Servant after their arrival in Trifas.

"What? It's my way of reliving myself of boredom." Robin replied. "Don't tell me you're not bored with all just waiting around in this damn place."

"I don't particularly care if talking to yourself is your way of avoiding boredom, just do not let it be a bother to others." The Chaste Huntress replied. She wondered to herself why there were two Archer-Class Servants on their team. Clearly, the man before her was someone who would have actually been more suited for the Assassin-Class. Though both of them were long-range fighters, the one known as Robin Hood was more willingly to use cheap tricks in order to win.

"Whether I want to be noisy or not, that's up to me princess." The young rogue responded with an annoyed look as he began to walk past her. He was stopped when the latter suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder.

"What are you implying...?" Atalanta's eyes narrowed the moment he called her princess, a title which she did not take kindly to coming from someone like the male Servant before her. On the other hand...

"What? What's with that look?" The red-head asked confused, clearly not expecting the action from his comrade. "You mad at me or something?"

"That's enough of that, if the two of you start a fight, I've been tasked to intervene on my Master's behalf."

Appearing from a corner, an unusual looking male with white-hair walked up to the two with a cold look in blue eyes. It wasn't that he was angry or anything similar to the sort, it was just the default way his eyes looked. On the contrary, he was in a good mood that morning. Although his two allies had know way of knowing that tidbit for themselves, which was especially true for the male Servant of the Bow.

His identity was Karna, a Lancer-Class Servant and Atalanta's ally during her fight against Ruler and the King of Knights.

"Damn, I didn't sense you there big guy. You need something from either of us?" Robin said, somewhat nervous. He knew that Lancer was by no means a bad person, but just being near him gave the red-head shivers. It was most likely a sign of how dangerous a person the man before him was.

"No, I was just passing through when I heard the two of you talking." Karna replied, gazing at the golden-haired huntress. "Archer, try to calm yourself when around your allies. Arguing with Archer does not benefit us nor our Masters at all."

Sighing as she knew that Lancer had a point, Atalanta spoke. "You're right. That was unworthy of me I suppose."

"Speaking of which, you think you can just call me by name or something when the two of us are both around?" The young rogue added. "I mean, it's kinda confusing when you think about it when you call two people by the same title."

"If that's what you wish, then what you would you suggest I call you by?"

"So you're okay with it? Let's see here..." Robin began. "What would be a cool name...?"

"Shall we go with _idiot_ then...?" A faint smirk could be seen on the Chaste Huntress' face.

"Haha, very funny." The young rogue sarcastically replied.

* * *

When Gray entered her Teacher's room, she expected that it would be a complete mess once she entered it. Ever since she began studying under Waver as his apprentice, the latter having also preferred being addressed by his title as Lord El-Melloi II, she quickly discovered that despite the way he presented himself in public, her teacher was for the lack of better terms, a deadbeat when it came to his home life.

Empty cans of beer and wine bottles, documents and clothing scattered about the room...

And now two grown men passed out on the floor, which were Rider of Red and Kairi Shishigou respectively, could be added to the list. Her teacher's videogames, along with very important association documents, were about the only things in the room that were organized. Sighing, she walked over to the bed and pulled the sheets where Waver was sprawled out beneath.

"It's now morning Master." She began. "It would be best that you wake up now less you sleep in more than you already have."

"Gray...?" The long-haired man yawned as he rubbed his eyes. "What in the bloody hell happened last night?"

"Ahaha...! How pathetic, it seems our illustrious leader has even lost his memory to a simple drink."

Speaking of which, Archer sat upon one of the sofas in the room while casually drinking a cup of wine for himself. And now that she noticed him as well, she just realized that Lancer was also asleep on the floor with the smell of alcohol coming from him. She wondered where had he gone off so suddenly last night. Now her question had just been answered.

"Archer...? Just what happened here?" Gray began.

"I believe you can already guess that for yourself girl." Archer began, gesturing to the unique container within the room, which about as big as a barrel. From the design alone, Gray was able to guess that said container came from Archer himself via his treasury. Her master told her the identity of the Servant of the Bow, so she wasn't surprised by his abilities all that much aside from the fact that he had more than just weapons within his storage that he could use.

"Rider had insisted upon seeing who among the five of us could out drink the other in a contest. Obviously, I called him a fool for this as the drinks he served were rather subpar." The blonde gestured to the beer cans lying about. "As such, I remedied the situation with one of my many treasure suitable for such a thing. Apparently none of them were able to handle it. A weak-willed fools the lot of them are, falling prey to something that's nothing more than a simple drink."

"Hahaha~!" Suddenly, Lancer sat up with a rather strange look on his face. "Y-You're the weak one here goldie~! After all, you got us like this because you can't even beat us normally can you~? I knew it~"

Gray only sighed as she realized that somehow Lancer was drunk. She thought to herself that Servants would have been above such things, but apparently they were not given the tipsy look her Servant had. And instead of being angry as usual at Lancer for his insult, Archer instead only gave him an amused look before smirking as he finished the glass in his hands. The young girl found it to be rather strange, which only lasted a few seconds as the blonde suddenly spoke out.

"No, you're the weak one Lancer." He declared. "If you seek to prove to me otherwise, then I dare you as the King to finish that container in one sitting. Do so and I will acknowledge and respect you as an equal."

"You're on!" Soon enough, the green-haired spearsman took the container in hand and began spilling the contents into his mouth and onto the floor beneath, Archer laughing ever so slightly to himself as he watched the scene and encouraging the Servant of the Lance to keep on going. Gray had no words that could help her describe the rather surrealistic scene before her. Though she did have one thought going through her mind.

Just what on earth did they drink...?

"..."

Hearing footsteps at the doorway, Gray saw both Reines and Mordred leaning on opposite ends of the door frame with blank looks on their faces and their arms crossed.

"Men." The latter stated as she shook her head slightly after seeing Waver's current appearance. She too had gotten used to his rather messy lifestyle as an adult, but seeing it always had her speechless everytime she gazed upon his personal quarters. She was both amused and embarrassed, though currently it was just the latter.

"I suppose some things don't ever change even as centuries pass." The older blonde did the same as reminisced her days as a Knight. Though she hated the Round Table and its members with a burning passion, she couldn't help but be reminded of them once she saw this.

A loud crashing sound echoed throughout the room as all looked to see Lancer suddenly pass out from his drinking. Archer merely smirked as continued to drink from the cup in his hands.

"It seems as though we're not equals then." He said, chuckling slightly.

* * *

"So then Saber, your identity is Siegfried eh?"

Seated at the edge of the castle wall that overlooked the city were Astolfo and Elizabeth, accompanying them was none other than Saber of Black, the latter of which chose to simply stand near the two as they spoke with one another.

"No wonder I always got this jittery feeling whenever I'm around you..." The female pinkette said as she held herself and gazed at her ally's sword. "You be sure that you don't hit me with that thing by accident you hear me? I'll get really mad at you if you do."

"Fear not, for my blade is only a threat to my enemies." Siegfried replied warmly, causing Elizabeth to grin in satisfaction.

"Hearing you speak after all this time is somewhat strange..." Astolfo commented with a curious look. "Are you sure your Master won't get mad at you for breaking your oath of silence?"

"I do not believe so. Master Gordes has stated that since I already called out the name of my Noble Phantasm, the Red Faction would most likely know who I am at this point in time. Thus, there is no longer a need for me to remain silent."

"Well that's neat~! Now we can actually hold proper conversations~!" The young paladin stated, causing the taller male to smile in response at his cheerful energy. He felt that no boredom would occur during the peaceful moments of the war so long as Rider was around.

"I've been meaning to ask you all what your wishes would be for the grail." Astolfo began. "With Saber now free to speak his mind, I think now would be a perfect time to hold this conversation among ourselves."

"If that's the case, then what about Lancer, Archer, Caster, and Assassin?" The Servant of the Sword asked.

"Lancer scares me, so I won't bother asking him to come here." Elizabeth giggled at her friend's statement. "Archer and Caster are both busy with their duties for the day, so I don't want to bother them. And Assassin's right here isn't he?"

As if on cue, a male Assassin appeared before the group much to Elizabeth's surprise as she nearly fell off the castle wall.

"You called?" He spoke.

"Hey! Don't appear so suddenly like that when you're so close to me!" Even now she still found Assassin and his personas to be rather creepy. And their habit of appearing out of nowhere only unnerved her even more since unlike other Servants whom she could still sense while they were in their spirit form much like the others, the Assassins had the Presence Concealment skill that prevented them from being detected.

"My apologies milady Berserker, I did not mean to offend." Assassin replied in a well-mannered tone that caught the pinkette off guard as she did not expect it. She also found his referral of her to be rather strange since "Milady Berserker" wasn't exactly a term one would often hear spoken by others due to the words that formed said term.

"Heh~" Astolfo began checking every inch of Assassin very closely. "Say Assassin, I have to ask. Do each of you have names? Because it's probably going to be confusing telling which one of you is who and who isn't."

"Ah, that is a simple matter." Assassin replied. "To answer your question, we do have names, but not all of us. Since we consider each of ourselves to be one person, names never truly mattered to any of us since we can tell who is who and what their role is as one of our personas."

"Well that's interesting." Astolfo commented. "What's your name? You said that at least some of you have one right?"

"My name is Zayd, it's a pleasure to meet you Rider." Assassin extended his hand.

"Pleased to meet you too~" The young paladin replied with a grin as he and the skull-masked Servant shook hands. "So then, what do you wish for Assassin? I mean, there isn't really any harm for any of us to learn what we all wish for right?"

"I suppose so." Zayd shrugged, as did the others who were present. Though he was merely assigned as an observer of the Servants gathered before him together with several others, thus not require to interact with them much, he suddenly felt the desire to mingle with his fellow Servants and his counterparts had no problem with such an action. Perhaps it was merely due to boredom, who could say?

"Well, my wish would be that myself and my brethren would be reunited once more."

"What? Do you wish for another life or something?"

"No, that's not it." Zayd replied. "Originally, myself and my counterparts were one person alone. But due to our unique ability, once we became a Heroic Spirit and summoned as a Servant, we manifest as multiple individuals. What we desire is simply to unite ourselves once more. Though our abilities are useful in this form, it is somewhat troubling at the same time."

"So in other words, you guys just want to get back together into a single person again?" Elizabeth said, causing Zayd to nod. "That sounds kinda weird if you ask me~"

"Hey now, there's no need to be rude." The young paladin chided the pinkette, who merely pretended to be innocent. Seeing that he was no longer needed, Zayd bade them farewell and faded back into spirit form. Seeing this, Astolfo turned his attention back to his friend.

"So what about you Berserker? What's your wish?"

"To be an idol!" The pinkette quickly replied, causing the other two to pause momentarily at a loss from Elizabeth's answer.

Both men had a single question running through their minds. Just what in the world was an idol...? The first thing that came to mind was the objects of worship that religions or cults would sometimes use. Did that mean that Berserker wanted to become someone that was worshiped then?

"Don't be surprised, that's the same reaction I had when she told me."

All looked to see Caules and Fiore Forvedge appear before them, the former giving a look towards his Servant as he spoke.

"If you want to know what an idol is, then feast your eyes on this."

Pulling out a parchment from his jacket, Caules unfolded it and revealed it to be a poster that depicted multiple teenage girls with varying hair colors wearing school uniforms. In their respective dominant hand were microphones. Colorful imagery dominated the poster, with the title _Love Live_ being printed upon it. Both Saber and Rider had identical looks of surprise on their faces. One glance and they were able to tell what it was about given the imagery. _That's_ what Berserker wanted to be?

"And you happened to have that with you because...?" Fiore began with a teasing smile.

"I-It doesn't matter! I'm just giving an example is all!" Caules quickly panicked as he folded the poster back into his jacket.

The female brunette only giggled at this. As his elder sister, she knew of her younger brother's interests in life were aside from the ones he had as a magus. She didn't know much about the topic of anime, manga, or cartoons, but she knew enough about said topics to know that Caules had a real interest in such things and that he would sometimes draw his own illustrations in regards to said interests.

"Ahahaha! As if 2D girls could compete with the real thing!" Elizabeth laughed haughtily. "With my beauty and singing talent, everyone is going to adore me once I take the stage after the Holy Grail War. I'll be the only thing they'll pay attention to from now on!"

 _'Well you definitely have what it takes, problems is that you suck at taking critique...'_ Caules deadpanned in his mind, not wanting Berserker to hear his thoughts less she get angry with him and decide to smack him as a result. For a Servant, she really was a free-spirited sort.

"Well that's an interesting wish." Astolfo commented as he gazed at Saber. "Then what about you my friend? Is there anything you wish to share or do you feel that you do not wish to partake? I'm not trying to force the issue after all, I'm just curious."

"Well, so long as it's nothing like Berserker's wish, I don't think we'll judge you for it." Caules commented.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?" His Servant cried out in annoyance as she held him a headlock as the young man struggled to break free. Fiore giggled at this, while Rider motioned for his friend to continue.

"My wish is rather simple." Saber began. "But I'll save it for another time. Right now, I'm afraid my Master is calling for me."

With that, the dragon-slayer went into spirit form, leaving the group behind as Astolfo sighed in disappointment.

"Well that's too bad. Here I was hoping that we could talk more for today..."

"Say Rider, what's your wish?" Caules suddenly asked. He was curious what someone like the feminine male would want from something like the grail.

"Who me? Let's see~" Crossing both arms, the young paladin sat still as his mind was deep in thought. It was over rather quickly though as the young man smiled and laid a hand behind his head as he spoke.

"Nothing~! I guess I'm completely content with my life~!"

Such an answer caused both Caules and Elizabeth to face fault to the ground, with Fiore on the other hand only looking somewhat surprised. They supposed that they should have expected it considering the type of person Rider was after all.

* * *

"Ah, Lord Darnic."

Greeting the head of the Yggdmillennia clan, Caster bowed her head in the presence of the blue-haired , the Servant of Magic was re-purposing the golems used in the last battle in order better fight against their enemies. Knowing now how strong they were, adjustments had to be made in order to prepare themselves for the next battle less they were routed so easily again.

"Caster, how goes your work?"

"It's all going accordingly. Together with my young Master, he and the homunculi have all been very helpful." She replied, glancing at the young ginger-haired boy. She found the smile on his face as he worked on the golems to be a rather heartwarming thing to see.

"I see." Darnic nodded, satisfied. "Then what about your familiars? Have they picked up anything out of the ordinary?"

"Not yet." Caster shook her head. "I had one of them trail the Red Faction members back to their base of operations, but on the way it was spotted and destroyed. As a result, finding out where they is taking longer than I would like."

"Then I'll have the Assassins help you in this endeavor. Their numbers and skills should be of use with your search. And with the death of one of their own, the Red Faction will have believed that they've taken out one of our Servants in this war. In doing so, they'll be letting their guard down."

"Very well then, I was about to suggest the same thing myself actually." Caster nodded.

"Ah...!"

Hearing the sound of glass shattering, both looked to see a case of vials having been knocked over to the floor, the contents of which scattered about and broken thanks to the fall. The culprit behind said event was none other than one of the homunculi that was helping out with Caster's duties.

"Now look at what you've done! This is why I don't like working with people or homunculi..." Roche reprimanded with an annoyed pout as the homunculus in question began cleaning up his mess.

"There's no need for that." Caster sighed as with a flick of her wrist, the mess cleaned itself up with the vials being repaired back into pristine condition.

"My apologies..." The homunculus said, an ashamed tone in his voice. Though one couldn't really tell in regards to that thanks to the blank expression he had, an expression that he also shared with most of his brethren.

The Servant of Magic merely shook her head and motioned for the homunculus to continue on with his work. Seeing this, Darnic spoke.

"You're quite forgiving aren't you?"

"Well it was just an accident after all." Caster replied. "And I suppose I find being angry over a single mistake to be a rather tiresome thing to do, especially since the one responsible is no more than a child one takes into consideration the length of their lifespan."

Glancing at said homunculus briefly, she turned her gaze back to the blue-haired man and continued.

"Speaking of which, are you sure you wish for me to use him like this?" She asked. "I believed that he was one of the homunculi created by Saber's Master in order to supply us Servants of Black with mana so that you and the other Masters are able to perform to the best of your abilities, did you not?"

"Indeed, but I feel there's nothing wrong in allowing these creatures to roam about in the castle and help out with our duties. The more they learn, the more they will be useful as they say." Darnic replied as a smile grew on his face. "Besides, you remember what you said about having yet found a way to control the dragon did you not? I believe I may have found us a way."

"Wait, you're not suggesting...?" She said, having noticed that he was gazing at the homunculus in question.

"Oh, but I am Princess of Colchis. I am." Darnic's smile grew wider.

* * *

"It now occurs to me that I actually don't know you all that well Master."

A little while after their morning meal, Jeanne and Arthur decided to head out to the forest. The reason for doing so was rather simple. The former admitted that she wasn't as much of an experience warrior compared to other Servants in the Holy Grail War due to having been a standard-bearer in life, and knew that in a prolonged fight, she would lose against those of greater skill than her. The Black Knight that attacked her quickly being the first to come to mind.

So, in order to remedy this, she felt that taking a few lessons from Arthur would do her some good in the future. The white knight understood this reasoning well enough, and so the two headed off and found a secluded spot where they could train. Once they began, Arthur was surprised by how quickly she was able to learn from their spar as only a few hours had passed since they began. He wondered to himself how skilled she would have been had she been more of a front-line fighter and lived to an older age.

Parrying an incoming blow, the young saint replied to her Servant's sudden statement.

"Does that bother you...?" She said. The female blonde hadn't expected her partner to say such a thing out of the blue.

"Somewhat." Arthur said as he dodged his Master's counterattack. "Because now that I think about it, you've acted as a comforting friend to me ever since that night with Mordred. I feel rather guilty at having taken advantage of your kindness."

"Don't be. That's what friends do for each other, do they not?" The young saint said as she twirled around struck the knight from behind. Smiling at this, he quickly counterattacked with a blow that pushed her back a great deal across the ground.

"I suppose so." Arthur replied as he planted Excalibur into the ground with both hands on its grip. "However, I still do feel rather bad about not knowing much about you in spite your kindness to me. I feel like I've been selfish."

"Well, if you want, you could always ask me about my life." She suggested before crooked smile formed on her face. "Though I believe mine isn't as extravagant as the one that King Arthur has lead."

"Nonsense." Arthur replied as he sat down on a log together with the young saint. "So then, what sort of place did you grow up in?"

"I was born to a family of farmers in a small village." Jeanne began as another smile grew on her face. "It was a quiet place, the people who lived there were good people who looked out for their own. There were grass fields as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful in my eyes."

"That sounds somewhat familiar." The knight commented, remembering his own youth. The way his Master described her village was almost exactly like the one he grew up in together with his brother Kay before becoming King. "What kind of people were your parents?"

"Ah, mother was always kind to me, she taught me a lot of things as I grew older." She said, her smile growing wider. "Father on the other hand was strict person. Although that was because he was always rather protective of me."

"Well I don't blame him for that." Arthur said, suddenly grinning. "With your looks, you must've attracted quite a number of suitors."

"Wait, what does that have to do with-" She paused. Realizing what the knight had just said, she blushed but maintained her cool. "I-It wasn't like that. True, there were those that tried to court me and father often drove them off... Wait, why am I even talking about this!?"

Said topic was something that she found somewhat embarrassing to begin with. Seeing the look on Arthur's face, Jeanne pouted and held her sheath with both hands before bopping her Servant on the head with it in a light fashion, who in response merely chuckled slightly at the action.

"Dummy, and you're the one asking me to tell you about myself too."

"Hehe, my apologies. I had believed I was merely speaking the truth." Arthur replied. Jeanne gazed at her partner from the corner of her eyes, an annoyed look on her face that eventually went away and was replaced with a smile of her own as she felt humbled by his words as it meant that he was complimenting her more than just teasing.

"I have to admit Arthur, when I first met you, I didn't expect you to be something of a lighthearted jester given your... well, your past." She commented, changing the subject and making sure to not touch upon the latter topic rather lightly considering how everything ended up during the last few years of the young man's life.

"Well, I always believed that facing life with a smile on your face is better than facing it with a frown." He replied with a shrug before a smile grew on his face. "That, and I suppose a good friend of mine rubbed off on me more than I would like. Though a trickster, that person's heart was always in the right place."

Jeanne had an idea about who said friend was, her mind going back to the dream she had. With this at the forefront of her thoughts, she spoke.

"That good friend is Merlin, isn't it?"

"That's right." Arthur replied, giving his Master a knowing look. "You've been receiving visions of my past haven't you?"

"Only one, and it was about the time you drew the sword in the stone." The young saint replied, a curious look in her eyes as she continued. "How did you know?"

"Because I received a vision of _your_ past the other night actually. I believed it was only a matter of time before you received one about myself." The young man revealed as Jeanne blinked in surprise. "And before you say anything, it was just some memories of your childhood. There was nothing I saw that you would find to be embarrassing. I have to say though, you take after your mother greatly. I would have mistook her for you had it not been for the fact that she had shorter hair compared to your own."

Jeanne sighed in relief at this, while at the same time smiling as she found Arthur's comparison of her to her mother to her liking. She always admired her mother, and thought of her to be a rather beautiful person. Hearing that she resembled her closely was quite a complement to the young saint.

"Speaking of which, what was it like? When you first decided to partake in the war that made you a hero?" Arthur asked.

Sighing to herself, Jeanne looked up at the sky. Memories of the Hundred Years War coming back to her as she remembered her beginnings as someone who fought and memories of those she fought alongside with during those events. Though she knew that at leas six centuries had passed since then, for a Heroic Spirit like her, those turbulent times still felt like they all took place only a short while ago.

"Admittedly, I found it to be quite troubling." She began. "I never picked up a sword in my life nor did I ever learn how to read. As someone who wanted to do her part for her country, it was hard for me to suddenly adapt."

"You say that, but it seems you're a quick learner given how much your sword skills have improved within a short span of time." Her companion commented as she looked at him in response.

"That's probably because I'm a Servant right now. I doubt that I would be able to learn as quick if I were still human." The young saint humbly replied. "Still, I never allowed my illiteracy nor my lack of training as a warrior to deter me from my goals. So long as my heart and my faith were both steadfast, I believed that I would be able to pull through any challenge set forth by both the Lord and the world."

"You truly believe in your God that much?" It wasn't so much of a question that Arthur was saying so much as it was just him reconfirming the fact as he saw for himself how often his Master would pray during times that allowed it. The words she had spoken to Lancer of Black coming to mind as well.

"I suppose I can understand your skepticism. Truthfully, the belief in a singular deity who surpasses all and created all is something that I would probably have trouble believing in at first had I been raised differently." She said, suddenly smiling. "But, I believe with all my heart that he truly does exist. Even if the Lord chooses not to reveal himself to his followers, so long as his love is there, why would one ask for more?"

Looking up at the sky once more, she continued.

"Whenever I look at the sky, the land, the sea, or the people, I can feel the love the Lord has for all his creations." Her face then took on a saddened expression. "And there's also the sorrow. The sorrow that he feels for us as we struggle with ourselves and others. It was because I could hear his lamenting that I chose to take up the sword, so that I might find a way soothe the Lord's pain."

Arthur remained in silence as Jeanne spoke. He had a feeling he somehow knew what she was talking about given his personal experience... but decided to not say anything as believed that doing so would have been insulting his Master's beliefs, which he found to be rather endearing trait of hers in their own way.

"I know that there's a bit of hypocrisy in fighting to stop the fighting, but I believe-" The female blonde continued, but was cut off by Arthur raising a hand.

"You needn't say more." He began with a smile. "Your faith in your beliefs is most certainly an admirable trait to have Master. That, and the way you present yourself to others speaks for itself. I believe you are someone who is truly deserving of being called a Saint."

"Hehe, thank you Arthur."

Jeanne smiled in response, feeling humbled by her partner's words. Soon the two continued on with their sparring session.

* * *

"Tell me Master, do you have family?"

Looking up from the book he was reading, Shirou saw Assassin drinking a glass of wine. Currently, both were seated within the library of that was located inside the villa. As per his word, he decided to allow himself and his Servants some time to relax before moving on with the next phase of the plan.

"Isn't it a bit early for such a thing?" He asked as the raven-haired beauty's fingers played around with the glass somewhat as she replied to him.

"In your time perhaps. But for those of my era, we were poised to drink whenever we want." She said, glancing at him as she continued while smiling. "And you didn't answer my question. Is it a topic you do not wish to speak about?"

"What brought this on?" Shirou sighed, closing the book in his hands.

"Nothing. Merely curiosity is what drives me today."

Pausing for a moment to wonder whether or not he should answer his Servant, the young priest relented and began speaking about his familial relations.

"Well I do have a foster-brother if that's what you're asking." Shirou stated. "Considering my background, I don't exactly have one that I'm related to by blood. Anyway, he's a strange sort, so I'm not that close to him all that much. Is my answer satisfactory?"

"Somewhat. Why is it that you aren't close to him?" Her question only caused the young man to grimace, frowning slightly at the thought of his brother.

"For one, as much as I would like to, I cannot approve of him." Shirou began. "My brother is something of a genius. Whatever path he chose to follow, he is able to walk it without facing too much hardship. Whatever a person could think of doing for a living, he could do it to the utmost efficiency. And a few years ago, he even became joined the Executors of the Church."

"I don't see where this is going..."

"I was getting there." He replied. "My brother was able to accomplish a great many things at a young age. Although I'm not related to him by blood, I would be lying to myself if I said that I wasn't proud of him. Those around him, including myself, showered him with praise. Yet..."

His frown grew as his eyes narrowed.

"Yet in spite of all that, he was never happy." Shirou slowly began. "There was an empty void within him. Whatever he did, everything he did, never gained any form of satisfaction or happiness with himself. He even had a wife and daughter last I heard, but apparently he's still unable to find happiness last I saw him."

"Really now...?" A man unable to find any sort of happiness despite living a life like that? Assassin was now curious to hear more.

"There's actually only thing he could do to achieve any semblance of joy... But because he found it to be quite reprehensible, he devoted his life to finding new ways to enjoy life, which is why he devoted himself greatly to every path he had walked, and is currently trying to do even now."

"Pray tell, what did your brother find so reprehensible about himself that he wanted to change it...?" Assassin asked.

"It was the fact that the only time he found happiness in life was whenever he saw the suffering of the people before him." Shirou replied, causing his Servant to briefly widen her eyes. "I've tried helping him with his problem, but so far no success. My wish for the grail is partly for his sake as well. So that he may find salvation in life."

"My, my, such an interesting person your brother is Master." The Queen of Assyria smiled. "I believe I would have found it to be a rather entertaining prospect to meet a man like him."

"Indeed it is!"

Arriving from out of nowhere, Caster stood before the duo with a large grin on his face. The young priest already had an idea of what he was about to say.

"Oh Master!" He began, both posing and speaking dramatically. "Might I ask that you tell more about your brother? He sounds to be a rather excellent candidate to base one of my characters on for a story that I've been planning on writing for some time now. A man tortured by his sense of morality and his personal happiness, trying to find different ways to settle both... It would make for an entertaining psychological tale no?"

"I thought you would say that, and my answer to you would be no." The young man deadpanned. "We have more important things to be discussing about rather than the life story of my brother. And talking about him troubles me more than I would like, so I'm dropping the conversation now."

"Ah, tis a shame then." Caster sighed.

"You're truly obsessed with your stories aren't you?" Assassin muttered with a disapproving look on her face. Really now, who in the world thought it would be a good idea to summon someone like him as a Servant?

It was at that point that a dove flew in through an open window, landing upon the outstretched hand of Assassin who sensed it coming and gently stroked it. Said dove was one of her familiars that she used for surveillance. And given that it had returned without its fellows, it apparently meant that there was news.

"Well now... isn't that interesting?" The Servant of Stealth began with a smile on her face. And upon seeing her Master gaze upon her in curiosity, she continued.

"It seems as though _that_ girl and her dog are here in this city. Looks as though she decided to participate after all."

"Really now...?" This quickly caught Shirou's attention as his eyes narrowed and a smile grew on his face. "Well then, now that they've appeared once more, perhaps we should send them a greeting as a form of proper etiquette?"

* * *

 _'Ugh... for a small city, this place sure is big.'_

Groaning to herself, Ayaka walked through the streets of Trifas by herself. Currently, the young teen was wearing a disguise which consisted of a beret, a scarf, a pair of sunglasses, and a simple jacket over a simple civilian clothes. Lancer was following her from a distance in spirit form, making sure not to stick to closely to her less that someone who knew of the Holy Grail War spotted them together and drew their own conclusions.

 _"You sure you know what you're doing? You've been walking around in circles all day."_ Lancer stated through their telepathic link with one another.

 _"If you have a better solution then I would be happy to hear it."_ She snapped back.

 _"Whoa, touchy. No need to be angry now."_ The blue-haired spearsman replied coolly, mildly amused by his Master's reaction. The young blonde merely sighed at this. She didn't mean to get burst out like that, it just came out.

Walking through the streets in hopes of finding Ruler was the best thing she could do at the moment. She didn't have any familiars she could use to help her out nor did she know how to create one for herself. Unlike the rest of her family, Ayaka's talent as a mage was mediocre at best much like her grandmother before her. Because of this, her skills were rather sub-par compared to the rest of her family because the family head decided to focus on teaching her two cousins.

It made sense to her why that was. The current family head was their father and her uncle, and Ayaka herself wasn't as talented as they were when it came to magecraft.

 _'Rin and Sakura... I wonder how they're both doing now?'_ She thought, smiling at the thought of her two cousins. She knew that the former was able to take care of herself, and that she was a protective older sister to the latter, whom herself generally got along better with Ayaka than her sister did. Either way, the blonde teen cared greatly for both of them.

Because of current circumstances, Ayaka hadn't been able to contact her family for at least a month now. She was sure that her grandmother was worried for her. Ayaka got along with her the best together with Sakura.

She wanted to inform them of what was happening, but she didn't want to be a bother and the fact that involving them would perhaps put them in danger was something that was constantly on her mind the moment she thought about the idea. That, and her grandmother would most likely faint at the idea of her having decided to participate in the Holy Grail War, and the last thing she wanted was to put her elderly relative through any stress.

 _"Hey Master..."_

Stopping in her tracks, she paused to listen to what Lancer had to say to her. The tone of his voice told her that it was serious.

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Better get a move on quick if you know what I mean."_ He began. _"Looks like someone spotted us, and I feel them closing in too."_

 _"Damn it...!"_

Quickly using her wits, the young blonde reinforced her legs and sped down the streets of Trifas. Though it was an advanced technique of Reinforcement, Ayaka learned how to apply the spell to herself through lessons with Rin. It was one of the few that she was good at using as a mage.

She needed to find a way to lose her pursuers. If she couldn't do that, she should at least find a secluded spot so Lancer could do his thing for her more easily. With the amount of people in the city this time of day, that was going to be a hard.

 _'There has to be somewhere we can fight properly in the worse case scenario...'_

Continuing to run for good minute through the streets, she turned a corner and eventually came upon an alley that led into an empty lot. Seeing a chance, Lancer decided to materialize beside her. At the same time, two figures landed right in front of the duo, causing the blonde girl to narrow her eyes and glare as she recognized both.

"It's good to see you again, Tohsaka Ayaka." One of them spoke, wearing black clothing and a red cape. His companion on the other hand, who was a white-haired male that wore strange armor with a flaming cape, she immediately recognized as his Servant.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same, Kotomine-san." Ayaka replied cautiously. "I'm surprised that you came out all this way on your own, considering your position after all."

"I'll admit, even I'm having doubts about my decision to come here." Shirou stated with a smile. "But considering our relationship with each other, I suppose I just wanted to see you again."

"Don't say it like that, it's weird...!" The blonde spoke unamused as the young priest smile grew even wider.

"My apologies then." He said as he gestured to his surroundings. "And have no fear, I've already erected a boundary field throughout this area so that you and I may have our meeting uninterrupted. We can now speak as long as we want."

"Is there anything we have to talk about? Because I doubt it."

"How cruel, and I'm here on my best behavior too." The young priest quipped, which only served to cause Ayaka to glare at him more.

"I will you ask you this only once. Will you not join me in my quest?" Shirou asked, a sad smile on his face. "As I consider you to be a good person, I am unwilling to cause harm to you if I can help it. But, should you stand in my way, I will take the appropriate actions."

"You should already know my answer!" Ayaka cried out. "Your intentions for the grail will only bring about danger to humanity, and you know it!"

"Yes, the risk is there." He replied, unfazed. "But if the result is going to benefit humanity in the long run, then why not take it? Humanity has taken on numerous risks in the past, and this is no different from the rest when you think about it."

"That doesn't justify what you're trying to do. If you fail, then the consequences will be severe. And the rest of us may have to pay for that mistake!" Ayaka argued.

A good moment of silence passed between the two pairs of Master and Servant. It was broken when Shirou sighed and shook his head in disappointment at the young woman's decision to stand against him.

"I see that you still believe that... and just when I thought that you and I could truly be on the same side." The young priest stated with a sad smile, causing Ayaka to frown as spoke this. "Perhaps another time then, once I win the grail war that is."

And knowing to himself what Ayaka's Lancer would say to him, he didn't bother trying to convert the blue-haired spearsman to his cause. Turning his back on the two, Shirou spoke two simple words as he walked past Servant.

"Kill them."

Nodding at this, Karna took on a battle stance as he summoned his spear. Seeing this, Lancer took on a stance of his own as he began grinning wildly. At that point, the white-haired priest vanished from Ayaka's vision. This left just her and Lancer against the Servant that stood before them.

"My apologies for what I am about to do." The demigod began.

"Heh! So you're that type of guy huh?" Lancer chuckled as he glanced at his Master. "Hey Ayaka! Mind if I have some fun?"

"Go all out if you have to! We can't afford to lose here!" She replied as she began distancing herself from the fight that was about to begin.

"Alright then! Let's dance pretty boy!"

With a twirl of his spear and a loud cry of excitement, Lancer charged his foe head-on.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so ends Chapter 9 folks, hoped you all enjoyed it :)

So yeah, decided to make the blonde Ayaka from Fate/Strange Fake part of the Tohsaka family, along with a certain someone and his family being mentioned. Also a certain homunculus finally appears as well. I thought to myself I wouldn't use him, but decided to anyway. Just know this, he will **_not_ ** be gaining the abilities he did in the original novel for the sole reason that doing that would require me to have Siegfried perform heart surgery in a way that's basically him ripping out his own heart, shoving it down some guy's throat, and the guy miraculously revives as a result.

That never made any sense to me at all. Transplanting a Heroic Spirit's organ/body part onto someone else is something I can understand through information provided by side material and the original source itself, but the way it was performed seemed like it was pulled out of someone's ass. Granted, Gilgamesh himself did the same with Shinji using Ilya's heart, but how does shoving a heart down someone's throat equate to healing? At least EMIYA's arm had to be surgically transplanted onto Shirou by Kirei. Now, if it was done in a manner like that, then I'd probably have less problems with it.

Lastly, I know that Love Live didn't exist in 2004 but I couldn't think of anything else as a substitute for the joke XP

Anyway, that's it for now. Please leave a review :D


	10. Act I-10: Familiar Strangers

_**AN: And here's Chapter 10 folks. Mistakes are probably here and there, but I'll correct them once I see them in my rereads of the story.**_

 _ **Anyways, please review :D  
**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10:  
**_

 _ **Familiar Strangers**_

* * *

"Hah!"

Parrying the incoming strikes from his counterpart, Karna stood his ground as he gazed into the blue-haired warrior's crimson colored eyes. They held a strong will in them. Seeing this, he knew that his opponent wasn't going to go down easily.

Not that he was complaining. For one such as him, warriors with strong wills in the face of great danger were people that he deeply respected.

 ***CLANG***

Lancer swung his red spear, the white-haired demigod easily countered it by swinging his own. The former then began to thrust multiple times, with Karna parrying the bows with his bare hands. He noted that his counterpart was extremely fast, even faster than him to tell the truth.

Knowing this, he decided to up the ante as flames began to form around his body.

"Whoa, what...!?"

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *SLASH***

Barely being able to react in time, Lancer was caught off guard when flames surrounded his foe and his movement and strength being faster and stronger as a result. The resulting strikes coming from his foe were now blowing apart their surroundings rather easily with each miss. And any attacks he connected with his spear didn't seem to be doing much damage at all. He could only wonder to himself what kind of monster he was dealing with here.

However, such a thing wasn't frightening him at all. In fact, it was doing the exact opposite.

Smirking, the blue-haired spearsman charged once more as he Karna exchanged blows with one another. Though the latter was superior as a warrior, the former was able to use his own strengths and experience against his more powerful opponent.

"So this is how Servants fight."

Off to the side, Ayaka hid behind a dumpster as she watched the fight between her Servant and the rogue Lancer.

She already seen how Servants fought the other night, but seeing it up close and personal was another thing altogether. She had a hard time keeping up with the two as their movements went way beyond what the human eye could comprehend. Even if she were to use magecraft in order to better visualize the fight, she doubted that it would have done any good considering the situation.

She was also glad that the rogue Lancer wasn't targeting her and instead decided to first face her Servant before her. That lengthened her lifespan for the moment, but she couldn't run away either. Shirou had caught up to her, so who knows what plans he had already concocted as backup plans. She was at her safest near Lancer, that much was clear to her.

 ***CLANG***

Both men jumped back from each other as they both parried the others attack once more.

"Hehe...! You're not half-bad pretty boy." Lancer smirked. "If it wasn't for the fact that you're trying to kill my Master, you and I could have some real fun with each other."

"Perhaps." Karna nodded, glancing at the young blonde who quickly hid herself behind the dumpster once she saw him gaze at her. He thought to himself why his Master had ordered him to do such a thing.

With but a glance, he could tell much about the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka. Cowardly, yet at the same time brave. Easy to annoy, yet a kindhearted girl nonetheless. It was a gift of his in being able to figure out a person's nature just by looking at them. Sometimes it benefited him, sometimes it did not. Either way, both did not apply to his current situation.

Why was it that his Master has ordered the death of a girl like her? Would it not be simpler to just kill her Servant? He could tell that without him, she was powerless to stand against him and his allies. If his Master truly regarded the person before him as a friend, would he not contemplate trying to spare her even if she stood in his way?

Alas, it was not his role to question his Master's wishes and desires. He was a Servant, nothing more and nothing less. There was only one thing expected of him, and that was to obey his Master's orders to the letter. Though he could disagree with it on a certain level, he would follow through with it no matter what, for he had already sworn his allegiance to the man known as Shirou Kotomine.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to use this move...!"

Taking stance that involved Lancer holding the tip of the spear downward while holding the end upward, he grinned wildly as a demonic aura began to emanate from his weapon, the sight of which caused the white-haired demigod to raise his guard as he realized what was about to happen.

Lancer was about to use his Noble Phantasm...

Ayaka herself was surprised. She had told Lancer that he shouldn't hold back, but for him to use it this early on? Was their enemy really that dangerous?

"Let's see if you can still stand after I take your heart for myself mister invincible!"

Taking a single step forward, an act that was more akin to a stomp thanks to the cracks that appeared, the blue-haired spearsman spoke out once more.

 _ **"GAE BOLG!"**_

A torrent of energy erupted from the spear's tip, moving in a serpentine like pattern as it made its way towards its target. Seeing this, Karna moved to dodge it.

He quickly realized that it was for naught. For as soon as he moved to the side, the attack quickly bending mid-flight and aimed itself directly at his torso.

 ***STAB***

"...!"

Piercing through, the spear of red death punctured the white-haired Servant's heart, causing the son of the sun god to stagger.

For the first time since his summoning, someone had managed to penetrate his armor. It was also the first time in a while since his own death that he was able to look upon the color of his own blood. As usual, it was red. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised?

Lancer on the other hand...

"Son of a bitch..."

Couldn't have been more furious at his opponent than he was right now.

He was furious because his opponent had survived the killing blow of spear despite having had his heart punctured. From the looks of it, his foe wasn't even bothered by it at all considering the curious look he had on his face as he gazed upon his own wound. Lancer didn't know if he was insulting him on purpose with such an expression, but he was insulted all the same. Perhaps he should have used the _other_ variation instead, but he lacked the ability to do so thanks to the area they fought in not being big enough to allow him to perform it.

On the other hand, he was also grinning rather wildly despite his anger. Why that was? Because right now, he had found himself a most worthy adversary to fight with.

The torrent of energy still resonating within him... Karna grabbed it with his free hand and forcibly yanked it from his torso, not at all bothered by the blood that began flowing down from the wound.

"That was a rather impressive attack, Ireland's Child of Light." He said, revealing that his knowledge of the identity of his fellow Lancer.

"Heh, looks like the secret's out eh?" Lancer chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "This is pretty bad. If I'm using that move, you're supposed to be dead by now. What kind of hero are you supposed to be? You a god or something?"

When his opponent didn't reply, the blue-haired spearsman only sighed. He had expected that.

"Oh well, I suppose it doesn't really matter now does it?" He twirled his spear and got into a stance, a wild grin on his face as he glared at the white-haired Servant. "Even if you are a god, the fact that you can bleed means that you can die."

Thanks to personal experience and what his teacher taught him, he knew this for a fact. So long as they were still prone to damage, defeat was possible. Hell, his teacher had killed a god herself. If she could do it, then so could he!

"Big words... Can you back them up?"

Karna replied by summoning flames that covered his entire body, the wound on his torso being burned closed. It was the only way he knew how to close it for now as the red spear known as Gae Bolg was a cursed weapon. Any wound it inflicts on a person will not heal, not until the weapon itself has been destroyed. As such, he had to rely on more extreme way of closing his wound. Not that it bothered him much, it was better to have it temporarily gone now than have it be a bother later.

 ***CLANG***

No more words exchanged between the two of them as their battle quickly resumed, the two spearsmen exchanging a flurry of attacks at high speeds. Ayaka could only watch with baited breath to see who would win between the two Servants.

 _'We can't lose here. If it's possible, someone please help...!'_ She silently prayed.

* * *

"Heh~!"

Seated atop a throne that was made out of human skulls with a crystal ball in her hands, Sajyou Manaka watched the ongoing fight between the two Lancers with a smile on her face. There was only so much entertainment one could have while just waiting in the same location for more than half-a-century.

"These two aren't half-bad, they're really something." She commented. What caught her interest the most though was the sight of the blonde-haired girl who remarkably looked a great deal like her little sister Ayaka.

Manaka loved her little sister, having adored her greatly as any big sister should to a younger sibling. She wondered to herself what happened to Ayaka in the last sixty years after her "death". She hadn't been able to keep tabs on her as much as she would like thanks to her being distracted by the various grail wars that soon took place all over the world after the one she participated in.

Was she living well? Had she lived a good life? Did she meet someone who treated her well? All these questions were in the forefront of her mind. She couldn't help but be curious about her little sister. This was the first time in a great deal of time she had thought about her, and now her head was filled with such thoughts.

And now she was witnessing the appearance of a girl who resembled her little sister greatly, the difference being that she blonde hair. Said person being responsible for bringing for what she was thinking about at the moment.

Tohsaka Ayaka... even their first name was the same. She also realized that the name Tohsaka was familiar to her.

"Didn't I kill someone with that name before...? I can't remember~"

Well, it wasn't important. Why bother remembering people who aren't all that important to her in the first place? The only person she was sure to remember forever would be her darling prince! He was the only one she knew who was worth something and would do anything for!

"Ah, Saber~" She smiled, the image on her crystal ball suddenly shifting to reveal Arthur himself. "I really want to see you soon~!"

Before her beloved prince's reappearance, she had tried summoning him herself during the past sixty years. After several tries though, all of which ended in failure, she decided to just wait it out as she knew that he would appear once more whether it was by her doing or someone else's handiwork. Though she did wonder to herself why her attempts ended in failure. Perhaps it was because she lacked the catalyst she once used to summon Saber in the first place?

Well, it didn't matter anyway. Now that Saber was here, why would she bother about it?

It was then that something clicked in her mind.

"Oh! I know~!" An idea came to her in regards to the girl who was like her sister in both name and looks. She knew for a fact that blue-haired Lancer would have lost to the white-haired one should the battle continue the way it currently was, and that would result in the death of both the former as well as the girl. For her, such a scenario would be boring. As such, she decided to do something about that.

"Hehehe~! I think this is going to be fun~!"

* * *

 _'What's this strange feeling...?'_

Out in town, Arthur and Jeanne were walking through the streets of Trifas.

At the moment, he and Jeanne decided to end their sessions for the day and decided to patrol the city for the time being. Though she didn't think their would be any fighting any time soon, especially since it was still day time, it was better to be safe than sorry.

During their walk however, the former suddenly came to a stop as he began looking around his surroundings.

"Is something the matter?" Jeanne asked.

"I have this strange feeling right now." He replied. "I feel like that there's something happening, and that I should be there."

"Really? I don't feel any-!"

She quickly fell silent when the sudden presence of a hostile Servant quickly headed their way overtook over her senses. Arthur himself felt the same presence and raised his guard. Looking around themselves, they found nothing. Since they were still in the middle of the city where people were going about their daily business, they both doubted that said hostile Servant would make a move. Still though, they needed to be careful.

 _'Where...?'_ Arthur kept looking around. Though presence could be felt, with many people about, it was hard to tell who was who.

He then stopped when he saw who he was looking for. Though her appearance had changed with the disappearance of her ears and tail, Arthur wouldn't mistake the girl that stood not too far from then for anyone else, not after the night where both he and Jeanne had finally arrived in the city for the first time.

"That's...!" The young saint began as she saw the person they were looking for. Her unmistakable golden colored hair and green fringed bangs being what had identified her to the two young heroes. A beautiful looking girl yet quite deadly. As a Heroic Spirit, it was to be expected.

Dressed in casual clothes that wouldn't have looked too out of place on someone with her looks, Atalanta only smirked as she saw that both blondes had finally noticed her presence. She then quickly turned around and began running in the opposite direction.

"Ah! After her...!"

Both the young saint and knight gave chase. What was she doing here? In broad daylight no less? The answer to such a question could only be found out from asking the Chaste Huntress herself.

True to her legend, the huntress was a swift-footed maiden. Having been able to outpace the two blondes rather easily, it came as a surprise to Arthur that he and his Master were able to keep up with her to a degree that they wouldn't lose sight of her.

As they kept running, the young man immediately froze when he noticed something that caught his attention rather easily, allowing himself to fall behind and stop all together.

 _'That's...!'_

Said something was actually a young girl who looked to be in her adolescent years. She had blonde hair and wore a light blue dress. She was smiling at him sweetly, pale blue eyes filled with innocence as she gazed upon him.

* * *

"Ah, it looks like they brought it."

From a distance, Shirou Kotomine observed the chase that began between Ruler, Saber, and Archer. Once he heard from Assassin that both were in the city, he needed to distract the two from the ongoing conflict between the Hound of Chulainn and the Son of the Sun God.

"If all goes well, then Lancer should be able to easily deal with that Tohsaka girl and her Servant rather easily."

Assassin spoke as she materialized right next to her Master. There was an amused smile on her face, one that Shirou knew all too well from his time together with the raven-haired beauty. It meant that there was something on her mind that she wanted to ask him.

"What is it this time?"

"Tell me something, why did you try to persuade that girl into joining us again? Could it be that perhaps you and her are...?"

"It's nothing of the sort. I suppose that it's more like I consider her to be a little sister to me." Shirou replied. "My adoptive father happened to be a close friend of her family. I was introduced to them about five years ago when I decided to live in Japan after years away from my homeland. Ayaka was a quiet girl, but somewhat feisty at the same time. We got along well for the most part, at least, that's what I believed it to be."

It pained him to have ordered her death. But since she decided to stand in his way, it was inevitable. And he would not allow his personal relationships with others interfere with his desire to reach his goals. Such was the price of war and conflict.

"What can you tell me about this girl? Is there anything to note?"

"Nothing that would make her a true threat against us other than her Servant." The white-haired priest began. "As a magus, she's not all that skilled in the art aside from mastering a few spells that would prove useful such as increasing her movement speed to avoid certain dangers. Her family practices jewel magecraft, but she in particular uses an old form of magic known as witchcraft taught to her by her grandmother. Even then, it's useless when pitted against Servants and magi of higher skill than she is."

"Witchcraft? Now that _is_ quite old." The Assyrian Queen mused. "I suppose she really wouldn't be a threat to us the way she is right now."

"Indeed, but I rather not take any chances." Shirou replied. "With her here, there's only one possible reason why I think she would come to this city."

"Meeting with Ruler isn't she?" She stated before a smirk grew on her face. "This is why I told you before that you should have sent Lancer with Berserker instead of Archer back in England to attack Ruler. Look where your decisions have gotten us now."

Shirou did not reply to his Servant's statement, though the look of grimace on his face said otherwise.

* * *

Unknown to the duo, another person was observing them from a safe distance as well.

"Hmph, so what that woman said was true."

Leaning against a tree as he stood on one of its branches, as well as being dressed in his civilian clothes, was Archer of Red. His arms were crossed and an amused smirk was on his face as he listened in on the conversation between the young priest and the Assyrian Queen. Thanks to his class abilities, he was able to make out the conversation between the two, despite not being able to hear it, by watching their lip movements. And in doing so, he had confirmed Ruler's accusations against the young priest.

Though he disliked Ruler, he had given his word that he would at least keep an eye out for the man known as Shirou Kotomine. As a man, a hero, and a king, he was honor bound to follow through with what he said. And in doing so, he found a rather joyous piece of information for himself.

"Interesting. So there's a battle going on without anyone's notice? Perhaps I should go take a look then."

Nothing more was said as he went into spirit form, a smirk on his face as thought about his next move.

* * *

"Stop right there!"

Coming to a halt at an off-limits sector of the industrial complex of the city, Atalanta turned around and faced Ruler who demanded her to stop. She smirked briefly as she did so, having completed the task given to her. As per her orders, she had led Ruler far away from the location where the fight between her ally Lancer and his opponent were having their battle.

"What's the matter Ruler? Has all this running tired you out?"

"Your taunts are meaningless." Jeanne retorted. "Answer me right now. What are you doing here?"

"Taking a stroll. There's nothing inherently wrong with that is there?" A dry reply came from the Chaste Huntress, one that only caused the young saint to frown in annoyance. She should have expected some lip from the golden-haired woman considering the two of them were currently enemies.

"You know as well as I do that you're not here for just a walk in the park." Jeanne took a step forward clenching her hands into fists. "If you don't wish to answer me, then you leave me no choice but to take you down here. As an aberration in this Holy Grail War, I'm afraid your existence is one that I cannot allow to roam free. Especially considering that you and your ally Lancer attacked me the other night."

"You wish to fight me then? In broad daylight?"

"If need be, then I will. If circumstance doesn't allow for it, then I'll just have to wait until night falls." Jeanne simply stated. The Chaste Huntress could only look at her somewhat incredulously at this. That meant that Ruler was willing wait for a few more hours until sunset for the two of them to fight.

The blonde herself pondered the idea of chasing her into the outskirts of the city were there weren't too many people around to see them fight. Then again, considering her allies, doing so may have only lead her into a trap. Thus, she would have to settle for keeping her here for the time being. She also noticed that the place they were in was actually the same place where Archer of Red fought the rogue Berserker. The debris and wreckage created during that night still being where they were.

"Hmm...?" It was only then that Atalanta noticed something off since arriving at the docks.

"So then, it's just going to be you and me is it?"

"Eh?" Hearing that, and after looking around her surroundings, Jeanne finally noticed that Arthur had gotten separated from her. She didn't know when and why it happened, but for some reason it did.

What she found strange about it was the fact that they got separated from each other in the first place. As Servants they had abilities that could allow them to easily track individuals, especially those they have a connection to such as their Masters.

 _"Arthur! Where are you...!?"_ She telepathically called out only for her question to go unanswered. There was also the fact that for some reason, while she could still feel him existing somewhere thanks to their connection, it felt really distant at the same time. What in the world happened to him?

* * *

Earlier...

Arthur stood still, completely in shock at the sight of the blonde-haired girl standing only a few meters away from him.

 _'Manaka...!?'_

How was it possible? Surely the girl in front of him was just someone who looked like her? According to his own knowledge, over half-a-century had passed since his last summoning. Even if she was alive, she should have looked like an old woman by now!

"Hehe...!" Giggling, the girl began running farther away from him and into a corner.

"W-Wait...!"

Giving chase, the white knight turned the corner only to find the girl had disappeared from sight. How was that possible? He felt her presence where he stood just now!

"Over here~!"

Looking ahead, he saw the little girl now standing at another corner waving her hands at him and motioning him to follow her.

This time using capabilities as a Servant, Arthur closed the gap between the two of them as she turned the corner. It was for naught however as he looked around once more and found the girl waving his arms at him.

Such an act implied that she knew who he was. And the fact that she somehow moved so quickly to another location implied something supernatural about her. However, he was still not yet convinced. He needed to make sure, and if playing cat and mouse for the time being was going to help lead to him catching the girl, then so be it.

His former Master was mad enough to endanger the entire world once. He could only imagine the consequences of what would happen if she were to roam free with the current grail war going on as it is. Though he hated the idea of leaving Jeanne by herself, he knew that she was both smart and strong enough to take care of herself. He just hoped that she wouldn't run into any trouble that she couldn't handle on her own.

 _'If it really is her, then I will not allow her to be a threat!'_

With his goal set, the white knight continued chasing the lookalike of Manaka throughout the city.

* * *

"Lancer!"

"Tch!"

Using his spear as a crutch, Lancer panted slightly as he glared at his white-haired foe. Much time had passed since the two Servants of the Spear began their fight, and the former eventually found himself on the defensive due to the latter's mysterious invulnerability to his attacks. Lancer could only wonder to himself just who in the world the man in front was.

"I suppose that this is where it ends for you." Karna began. Though it was brief, he found the blue-haired spearsman to be a worthy adversary. He was the first to injure him in this conflict, and together with the King of Knights, and perhaps Saber of Black, was able to keep up with him despite his advantages over most.

"I ain't dead yet punk...!" Lancer groaned out as he pulled himself together. Losing to the person in front of him wasn't on his list of goals for the day. His pride as a warrior and as Servant wouldn't allow it, not with his Master's life on the line.

 ***SLASH***

Cutting down several incoming feather like projectiles, the white-haired Servant then let his gaze fall upon the blonde girl responsible for said feathers. Who herself was currently frozen in fear as a result of his response to her attack.

"Were you perhaps thinking of aiding your Servant? A brave yet futile gesture, I commend you for it." He praised.

"Please, just let us go!" Ayaka begged. "Why do you even follow that person!? His wish for the grail has a high chance of bringing ruin to the world!"

"And what if it does?" Karna replied, surprising Ayaka with his indifference. "Whether or not my Master chooses to bring ruin to the world or to save it, I will follow him because I have already given my word that I will."

"Heh! So you're the type who's loyal to the end huh?" Lancer smirked, knowing for himself what such a life was. "I think I can understand you a little better now."

"Geez, you're really taking your sweet time aren't you?"

"Eh? Ah...!"

"Wha-!? Shit...!"

Having been preoccupied with his current opponent, Lancer was unable to notice in time the arrival of another Servant dressed in green clothing and a matching cloak and currently had a grip around Ayaka's neck with one of his arms and his free hand aiming his crossbow at the blue-haired spearsman.

"Archer."

"Boss man thought you were taking too long, so he sent me to help you out." Archer stated before turning his attention to Lancer. "Sorry about this, but it's your own fault that your Master got caught up in this situation. You should've been more alert dog boy."

"Those sound like fighting words to me!" The blue-haired spearsman growled in anger at being called a dog. "You call yourself a Heroic Spirit? Leave the girl alone and let's duke it out just between the three of us like real heroes! Or are you too much of a coward to do it?"

"Sorry, but that ain't my cup of tea." The rogue casually replied. "Cowardly or not, if fighting dirty means I can win, then so be it. I'll be the one laughing in the end anyway."

"Why you...!" Lancer stepped forward only for Karna to have blocked his path with his spear at the ready. "Get out of my way dammit!"

The white-haired Servant didn't reply. Though he didn't approve of Archer's aid and having wished to continue his bout with the Hound of Chulainn, the former's words reminded him of his duty and thus decided to go along with his comrade's plan for now.

Helpless, Ayaka had tears in her eyes. She was going to die wasn't she? Lancer stood no chance against two Servants, especially in his current condition. Her eyes quickly widened in fear when she suddenly felt herself being lifted from the neck and saw Archer's crossbow aimed at her skull.

"You should've taken up the boss' offer kid. Good luck in the next life I suppose."

 _'Please, somebody help me...!'_

 ***SLASH***

"AARRGH!"

Having closed her eyes waiting for the killing blow, the blonde-haired girl realized that it never came as she heard Archer suddenly scream out in pain. Slowly opening them, her eyes grew wide once more as she another person holding her with one of his arms rather protectively while the other wielded a rather ornate sword.

Dressed in white armor and blue clothing, and together with his handsome face, blonde hair, and green eyes, Ayaka thought of him as the ideal prince that her grandmother would often talk to her about during her bedtime stories as a child. The one that her grandmother's older sister had summoned when she participated in the Holy Grail War all those years ago.

"Are you alright?" He smiled at her.

"Eh?" Such an act caused the younger blonde to blush as the white knight set her down on the ground gently.

"It's going to be alright now." He said as he turned his gaze towards Archer and the white-haired Lancer. "It's been a while Archer, Lancer. I was wondering when both of you would show your faces once more. I can see that both of you are working together."

"Son of a bitch...! You took my hand!"

Indeed, the red-haired rogue's right hand was now severed and currently laid itself upon the ground in a pool of blood. Using his cloak, he temporarily he covered the stump that was left before even more blood could pour out, the forest colored cloak now being soaked crimson.

"Indeed. Consider that payback for trying to take my Master's life once before. Now I shall be taking your life for full recompense."

Chasing the lookalike of Manaka throughout the city took longer than he thought it would. He eventually lost track of her much to his own ire, but it quickly went away when he felt the presence of three different Servants gathered together not too far from his location. He quickly moved and soon found the individuals known as Karna and Robin Hood together up against another Servant and a girl who strangely enough reminded him of someone.

Said someone was Manaka, but when Arthur got in close and rescued her from Archer's clutches, he realized that it was because the girl looked more like an older version of Manaka's little sister whom he knew as Ayaka, only she blonde hair much like the former. He thought to himself that such a resemblance could not be a coincidence, especially with the appearance of a girl he thought to be his former Master herself in the city. As such he suspected that the girl was related to what he had seen.

But seeing the completely frightened look on her face as she was about to die by Archer's hands, he quickly knew that the girl was innocent. At the very least, he would save her from the two Servants that attacked his Master once before and then ask her about what he had seen if possible.

"Heh!" Leaping over to the two, Lancer grinned as began speaking to Saber.

"Thanks for that, I owe you big time." He said, glancing at Ayaka and relieved that she was okay.

"I have a lot of questions for both you and your Master." Arthur began, not taking his gaze away from the other two Servants. "If you wish to repay me, then both of you will answer whatever she will ask."

"Straight to business eh? I can follow that." The blue-haired spearsman smirked as he twirled his spear.

Seeing this, the rogue archer only gritted his teeth. Now they had two Servants as opponents and he had right hand severed. Just what the hell was Saber doing here in the first place!? Wasn't the princess suppose to lure both him and Ruler away from here!?

"Tch...! I'm outta here!" Knowing that he couldn't do much in his current state, Archer grabbed his severed hand and leaped into the sky, deciding to retreat into spirit form.

He was, however, stopped when out of nowhere a golden motorcycle appeared and crashed into him from behind as he was in the air.

"Gargh!" The impact caused the red-headed Archer to be sent flying into a brick wall, crashing into it and then falling into a pile of garbage.

Looking towards the rider of said motorcycle, Arthur widened his eyes in an incredulous fashion as he recognized the rider of the two-wheeled vehicle. Despite wearing a helmet and dressing in casual clothes, he knew at first glance who it was. There was no mistaking the aura that accompanied the Servant who considered himself to be the greatest in this war.

"Hmph, a rat attempting to flee after deciding to interfere in a duel between heroes is simply unacceptable." He began, removing his helmet and allowing his blonde hair to be revealed. His red eyes glaring at the downed rogue with contempt. "Such an act needs to be punished, prepare yourself."

"A-Archer!?" How on earth did he appear like that with a motorcycle no less!?

Hearing his class title spoken, Archer of Red glanced at the white knight and smirked.

"Greetings Saber, you're looking rather stupefied for one who calls himself the King of Knights." He said. "I heard of the commotion and decided to see for myself what was happening. Needless to say, it seems that there are now two arrivals in this Holy Grail War."

Gazing momentarily at both Ayaka and Lancer, Archer of Red then turned his attention towards the other spear wielding Servant, who currently had his guard up at the unexpected appearance of the former.

"Hmm? You are...?"

"..."

Karna could only stare at the red-eyed man in front of him in silence. His Master had informed him about the identity of the Servant before him. He knew of powerful he could be given his identity as the King of Heroes. He could only wonder what would happen if the two of them fought... who would be the winner?

Though he felt insulted at not having his question answered, Archer of Red himself more curious about the armor that other Servant was wearing. At first glance, he was able to pinpoint that it wasn't of human origin. There was an otherworldly feel to it, one that he was all too familiar with. That was all he needed to know that it was an armor that was created by the gods. They were the only ones who could give off such a sensation.

And thanks to the information provided to him by both Rider and his Master, he also knew that the white-haired Servant was also the same one who attacked both Ruler and Saber after the two had arrived in the city a few nights ago.

"Urgh...!" Hearing the rat groan, the Golden King turned his attention back towards the red-haired rogue who stood up from the pile.

"Hoh? So the rat is still alive?" He smirked.

"Call me a rat will you...!?" Angered by the former's insult, Archer pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at his counterpart. Though a part of him was telling him to run away, the enraged parts of his mind overtook his common sense.

"Hmph, you're not even worth my time." Gilgamesh declared as ten portals of light appeared around him. "Begone now."

"...!"

There wasn't even time to scream in pain when Archer suddenly found himself being impaled by numerous types of weaponry. One by one, he was quickly stabbed again and again, the sound of his flesh being impaled and blood spilling could be heard all too easily by the those present. Thankfully for Ayaka's sake, she was unable to see the actual sight as a dust cloud form around where Archer was being attacked.

By the time it cleared up, nothing but a crater was left where Archer had stood. Seeing this, the blonde-haired girl could only wonder in fear just who in the world the red-eyed Archer was. As far as she knew, those weapons were most certainly Noble Phantasms. They could be nothing else. For an individual to have so many, just who was he!?

"Hmph, he didn't even last more than three seconds." The Golden King smirked. "How pathetic, for one such as him to be called a hero... standards of what one should be like have dropped considerably I suppose."

"Uh, I don't think anyone would be able to survive _that_ so easily." Lancer pointed out. Even he was slightly disturbed by how casually the new Archer had eliminated his counterpart by impaling him to death with numerous weapons. It actually of reminded him of his teacher somewhat whenever she was angered.

Seeing that he was outnumbered, Karna pondered the idea of releasing his Noble Phantasm and quickly dealing a decisive blow to all three at the same time, or deciding to retreat for now. Though he wasn't what one would call boastful, he doubted that even he would be able to stand up against three Servants, two of whom were a match for him on a martial aspect and the other being the oldest Heroic Spirit in history.

 _"Lancer, I order you to retreat."_ His Master's voice echoed throughout his mind. _"There is no longer any point in staying there."_

 _"What about the girl?"_

 _"Forget her. I doubt that even you would be able to stand up to the combined might of those three."_ Shirou replied, and it was clear from his tone of voice that he was irritated by how his plan for that day was derailed. _"Come back to the garden, Angelica will fill you in on your next assignment."_

 _"Alright then."_

Hearing this, the white-haired Servant nodded. Quickly seizing the chance, he produced a burst of flames below his feet and jumped away from the trio.

"H-Hey! You just running away like that...!?" Lancer didn't get his reply as his counterpart sped away and dissolved into spirit form. The blue-haired spearsman was about to give chase, but was stopped when Saber had placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Leave him be. For now, you should focus on making sure your Master is alright." He said, gesturing to the blonde haired girl who was still on the ground. Somewhat dazed as a result of everything she had witnessed.

"Tch...! I guess you have a point." He clicked his tongue as he planted his spear into the pavement, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. He was having a great time fighting against that guy, why'd he have to turn tail like that?

"Hmph, this is the second time he has decided to withdraw hasn't it?" Archer of Red questioned the white knight, who looked at him response. "Pray tell King of Knights, what can you tell me about that man?"

"I'm not actually all that familiar with his legend, but I know that his name is Karna. Does that help you?"

"The child of the sun god Surya?" The Golden King muttered in both bewilderment and excitement, grinning wildly at this new piece of information given to him. "I see then. Perhaps a truly worthy adversary has finally shown himself to me at last."

"I see that you're quite obsessed with that." Arthur commented.

"But of course. This Holy Grail War is a once in a lifetime opportunity for heroes such as ourselves to be able to gather like this and battle to the death. What kind of fool would pass up such an opportunity to revel in it?" He stated to the knight.

Arthur shook his head at this, giving a disapproving look towards the King of Heroes. He knew all too well his type, having encountered such people when he was alive. Well, at least for now Gilgamesh was on their side. He supposed that it was better than having him as an enemy.

"Well then, considering that there's nothing holding me here anymore..." With snap of his fingers, the helmet he wore earlier reappeared over Archer's head in a flash of golden light. He then momentarily glanced at Lancer, who himself giving him a stare. Though he was curious to know more about the Hound of Chulainn whose existence he was able to guess as an outsider of the holy grail war, he decided that he would learn it at a later date.

After all, today was the first time he had actually ridden his brand new treasure. Though he probably had similar constructs within his treasury, there was just something about the motorcycle that he had Reines buy for him the other day. As such, he decided to take it out for a spin now that he had accomplished what he had set out to do for the day.

"Farewell for now King of Knights, we'll see each other again soon." With that, the golden king sped away on his new vehicle.

* * *

That afternoon, near sunset...

"Ah! I finally found you!"

Coming across the lot that was now filled to brim with the scars of battle, Jeanne found Arthur sitting together two other people, one of them being a Servant.

Much like the others, she lacked a connection to the one in front of her, whom she identified as a Lancer-Class Servant. However, considering that Arthur was with them and not fighting, it meant that they were likely friendly.

"Jeanne-"

...!

Before Arthur had even realized it, the former quickly closed the distance between the two them and bopped him over the head with her shoe. Well, Laeticia's shoe to be precise. It was an act that surprised both Ayaka and Lancer.

"Why did you run off like that!?" The young saint demanded from him in a fretful tone. "What happened? Where did you go? Do you know how worried I was? And who are they supposed to be?"

Under barrage of questions, Arthur could only smile slightly as he expected this and raised both his hands in front of him in an apologetic way.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have done that." He began, shame filling his voice. "Something came up, but I suppose that's not excuse. I purposely left you, my Master, on your own. As a Knight, I have failed in my oath to always stand by your side. If wish to punish me, then so be it."

"W-Well, I wouldn't go that far..."

Jeanne replied, looking somewhat troubled by his reaction. Her irritation at the young man disappearing within that brief moment.

She shook her head, she'd get her answers later. For now though...

"So then, who are these two?"

The young saint asked, gazing towards the blue-haired Servant the girl who was presumably his Master.

"Aren't you supposed to already know that?" Lancer quipped with a smirk. "So much for Ruler-Class Servants being able to know things right off the bat I suppose."

"Lancer shush!"

The blonde-haired teen beside him reprimanded. The young saint could only stare at the two in bewilderment. Here before her was another Servant who lacked a connection her. That brought up the count of rogue Servants up to six... Just what in the world could allow such a thing to happen?

"I'll answer your questions. But first, I must ask if you're alright. What happened between you and Archer?" Arthur replied.

Sighing, the young saint placed both hands on her hips and spoke.

"She got away. I confronted her briefly just before I realized you disappeared, but then she ran off again and I gave chase. I quickly lost her, and tried to use my abilities to find her but to no avail. She must've already gone outside my range of detection by the time I tried to."

"I see. Then it's also my fault for not helping you catch her. My apologies." He hanged his head in shame once more.

"Don't be, it's all in the past now." She smiled at him. "Anyway, these two are...?"

With that, the white knight began to explain the situation to the young saint whose eyes grew wide at the mention of Karna appearing once more. And the fact that Archer of Red himself had taken down Robin Hood was another surprise in itself. To think that she missed such an important event.

This must've been the reason why Atalanta had chosen to suddenly appear before the two of them earlier that day, to lure both away so that her allies could be rid of the girl and the new Lancer before Jeanne could meet either of them.

Said thoughts aside, with the red-haired rogue known as Robin Hood now dead, it meant that she could allow herself to relax somewhat. That left at least only four rogues left to deal with. Karna, Atalanta, Sir Lancelot, and the masked Rider Servant.

"Heh, so that's who that red-eyed guy was?" Lancer suddenly spoke up, a growing smirk on his face. "That Gilgamesh?"

"Yes." Arthur nodded in reply.

"Talk about a small world, to meet someone like him here of all places. That explains the number of noble phantasms he used." The Hound of Chulainn grinned momentarily before he caught Ruler staring at him. "What? is there something on my face or something?"

"No, not at all."

She replied, using her abilities to identify him. So many great heroes from ages long past were now gathered together in the city of Trifas. And now standing before her was Cu Chulainn, one of Ireland's greatest heroes also known as the Child of Light.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't asked you your name yet." Arthur began as he gazed at the blonde-haired girl who was Lancer's Master.

"A-Ah right! M-M-My name is...!"

She stuttered, embarrassed thanks to smile the former was giving off as he spoke to her. The fact that she felt a blush appear on her face didn't help matters at all. Jeanne saw this and subconsciously frowned at the sight.

Taking a deep breath, Ayaka regained her composure and spoke.

"My name is Tohsaka Ayaka, I am Lancer's Master."

She stated, causing Jeanne to look at her in surprise. According to the information provided by the grail, the Tohsaka were one of the three founding families that created the grail wars in the first place. Meeting one of their descendants here... was it coincidence or something else?

Arthur himself was surprised for a different reason. He had expected her to say Sajyou, but perhaps he was wrong and that the girl was unrelated? No, the resemblance was just too uncanny. Perhaps she was still related to his former Master, just having a different name. He would need to find out about it later.

"I've been meaning to have a meeting with you for a while Ruler-san. Please, will you listen to what I have to say?"

Having heard her speak her mind, the young saint contemplated her request. At the moment, there was just too many things going that didn't make any sense. The girl in front of her may hold the answers she had been seeking this entire time. If so, then hearing her out would have been the best option available to her.

Then there was the cynical side of her that said that she shouldn't. Whatever the girl had to say could have been a lie. What's to stop her from doing so? Perhaps what had transpired was all part of an act to deceive her. One could never know.

However, the young saint already knew what her answer was going to be. Though she didn't know the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka all that well, she would at least hear her out as it she deserved a chance to be listened to.

"Very well then, I'll listen." Jeanne replied, smiling at the girl's reaction who looked quite relieved that she accepted. "But before any of that, we should find a safer place to have our discussion."

"Follow me, I think I know somewhere where we can talk."

With that, the group of Jeanne, Arthur, Ayaka, and Lancer left the lot.

* * *

"Ahaha! It worked~!"

Smiling in satisfaction, Manaka leaned back on her throne as she thought about her success. With this, she would be able to witness more from the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka. She believed that her and Lancer together with both Saber and Ruler would make for an excellent show of entertainment for now.

There was also the plus that she was able to play with Saber himself for a little while.

"It felt like we were lovers chasing each other... Ahahahaha~!"

Squealing like the little girl that she was, one could say that Sajyou Manaka was a nothing more than a normal girl her age at that point. Sadly, that could never be the case for one such as her who was wrapped within her own set of delusions.

"Saber~" She began as though the white knight was in front of her, looking up towards the cavern ceiling in the process. "Be sure to stay alive until we reunite okay~? I'll be really upset if something happens to you~"

* * *

That night, inside Shirou's room at the Red Faction villa, he and Assassin were currently contemplating the results of the day's events. The latter made sure that no one could eavesdrop on the two of them

"Another failure..."

Clenching his fists, Shirou uncharacteristically punched a wall hard enough that he fist went through the concrete material. Seeing this, an amused smile appeared on Assassin's beautiful face as she began speaking to her Master.

"I suppose this failure isn't entirely your fault." She said. "Lancer did decide to toy around with the girl's dog instead of going directly for her in the first place. It would have been in our favor had chosen to follow his brain instead of his lust for battle."

"I am in no mood for your games." The young priest declared, glaring at his Servant who merely smiled even more at him in response.

"Oh my, such an adorable look you have on your face Master." Assassin teased, causing Shirou to merely sigh as he walked towards the door. "Oh? Where are you going?"

"Making sure that our plans don't fall apart now that Tohsaka Ayaka has made contact with Ruler herself." He replied, but before he could take another step forward, Assassin suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"What are you-!?" He was caught off guard when his Servant had placed a finger on his forehead. The young priest then suddenly found himself feeling rather drowsy, stumbling back onto the bed within the room and being forcible laid down on his back by the Assyrian Queen.

"Just sleep for now Master, I'll take care of the rest." She said. Though she was amused by his reactions earlier, she knew that he was starting to feel rather tense thanks to the latest events that were happening. She could not approve of that, and as such, decided to take matters into her own hands. Bed rest did anyone who was feeling the same as he did some good. Even as he was, the same would still apply to him.

"I have no time for this...!"

"There's a time and place for everything. For now, you should rest." She responded, sounding rather mature and unlike the person Shirou had come to know personally. And knowing her, she probably wouldn't allow him to do anything else other than what she told him.

"Fine then... have it your way." He relented. "However, wake me up should something happen."

"Hehe! I'm glad to hear you say that."

* * *

"Che...! How pathetic a guy Archer was!"

Out in the city, in the very same empty lot where Ruler had her met with Tohsaka Ayaka for the first time, a girl with messy hair tied into pigtails was looking around the pavement while clearing away whatever got in her way with her feet. She wore something of a Gothic-Lolita ensemble with an umbrella in her right hand.

"Dammit, why do I have to do this when I could be sleeping in my bed!? I could be dreaming about Lord Julian's right about now! Ah~! Lord Julian~!" She said, a rather ecstatic expression forming on her face she spoke about the latter. Though he had yet to return her affections, she was sure that one day it would happen.

She snapped out of it when she found what she had been looking for since she arrived at the spot.

Holding it in her hand, the moonlight that shined down upon the girl revealed that the thing in her hand was a card that held the image of a woman dressed in armor holding up a bow and arrow aimed above her. The word ARCHER could be read from the bottom of the image.

"Asshole, you know the trouble you caused me? Don't go dying so easily damn it. Aren't you supposed to be a hero or something? Geez..." She spoke to it as though it were a person before sliding down inside of her pockets. And in doing, so she quickly perked up.

"At least now I can go back to my bed and sleep for the night. Lord Julian, wait for me in my dreams~!"

With that, the girl ran off into the night with a manic grin on her face.

* * *

"This is where you're staying at...?"

Arriving at the hotel, Jeanne and Arthur hadn't expected to see a hotel suite be the lodgings of the girl in front of them. The building itself wasn't extraordinarily large or anything, nor was the room they were in extravagantly designed. However, it was enough that it went against the of rural image of the city.

"Ahaha...! Well, since I didn't have any money on me when I arrived here, I had to hypnotize the staff into giving a room." Ayaka revealed, somewhat embarrassed as she placed a hand behind her head. "And just so you know, I didn't ask for this suite. This was the only free spot where they could put me in."

"Not that I'm complaining, this place has free drinks~!" Lancer called out with a grin and a bottle in his hand. Currently, the blue-haired man himself was sprawled upon the large sofa that was placed before a large television screen. Though Trifas was a city that was somewhat behind in current times, it still had places like this were people of rich modernity could live well enough as they would in their personal homes.

A little while later, Ayaka, Jeanne, and Arthur were seated around a table. Lancer was still laying about on the sofa while watching television, paying no heed to the conversation that was about to begin as he knew that his Master would have been able to explain it all by herself.

"Right then, you wanted to speak with me?" The young saint began.

"Yes. I believe that you may already know this, but there is someone manipulating the holy grail war from behind the scenes. He is the one behind the appearances of the rogue Servants that you encountered before as well as the one we fought today."

"Indeed, his name is Shirou Kotomine is it not?" Jeanne replied as Ayaka nodded. "I thought so, it seems the information from the grail was correct."

"Kotomine-san is... well I suppose I wouldn't call him a bad person." As much as she didn't want to admit it, Shirou was indeed a good person to the core. "However, the main problem is that while he has good intentions, his methods are rather extreme."

"The path to hell is often paved with good intentions." Arthur mused as both girls looked at him. "Oh, don't mind me. Please, continue."

"Right, before we talk about that man, why don't you explain to me something else first?" Jeanne suggested. That topic could wait for now. What she was really curious about was something else entirely.

"About what?" Following Ruler's gaze, she noticed that she was staring at Lancer. Currently, he was watching a show called _Thunder Cats_ with an amused smile on his face.

"How is it that you and that person could summon and have control over Servants outside of the grail's influence?" She asked. "As a Ruler-Class Servant, I've been summoned by the grail itself in order to mediate this war. As part of this task, I have an innate connection towards all those summoned to fight through the Command Spells given to me. Yet your Lancer and the other rogues lack such a connection. Could you care to explain that to me?"

"Ah, I thought as much... you really would want to know about that wouldn't you?" Ayaka commented, having somewhat expected it. "Alright then, I'll explain it as best as I can. Though it may take a while, and I don't even understand the full concept myself."

"Please, take your time. Any information you provide us would be most helpful." Jeanne replied with a smile.

"Perhaps I should make us something to drink?" Arthur suggested, looking at the glasses wearing blonde while continuing. "Considering what you said, I believe coffee would do you both some good in order to keep you awake."

"Both of us?" Ayaka wondered aloud, staring at the young saint as a result. Why would a Servant need to drink coffee?

"Don't think about it too much, my Master merely has special needs is all." He smiled.

"Wait a minute, what's with that sort of wording?" Jeanne pouted at him in annoyance. What Arthur said just now made her sound like a strange person. Seeing the smile on his face, she concluded that Arthur said that on purpose in order to get rise out of her, meaning he was teasing her again.

In retrospect, he succeeded in his task as the young saint began to chastise her partner with a lecture.

"Listen Arthur, you can't say things like that about others or else you'll cause misunderstandings...!"

"Haha, my apologies."

And so the night went on...

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

And that's it for CH10. Hope you all liked it :D

About Gae Bolg bypassing Karna's armor. Considering that the spear reverses causality in such a way that it has already stabbed a targets heart the moment its name is called out, I think it's possible. That, and the armor doesn't actually make Karna invincible. But considering it's Karna, he just doesn't give a damn about having his heart being pierced XP If you guys read the original, then you know that he can survive **_much_** worse.

And to the guy who complained about Tohsaka Ayaka, I only named her that because it helps me differentiate her more easily from the original Ayaka since I plan on using her at one point. Having two of them running around is confusing enough as it is, the exact same name only makes it worse. Making her a Tohsaka in my mind made things so much more simpler for me. That, and one other reason that I named her that.

I also face the same problem in SKoD (Which is still in hiatus due to lack of creativity on my part) in regards to Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. and their respective ancestors. In the former's case, I get around it because I see Goku Jr. as what a modernized Goku Sr. would be like as a teenager. In the latter case, I get around it because he has a last name compared to the original XP That, and adding _**Junior**_ to their names doesn't actually sound awkward when compared to a name like Ayaka.

Anyway, that's it for now. Once again, please leave a review :D


	11. Act I-11: Truth and Alliances

_**AN: Here's Chapter 11 folks, hope you enjoy**_ ** _. And as always, please leave a review :D_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 11:**_

 ** _Truth and Alliances_**

* * *

Stepping out of the room that belonged to her Master, Assassin of Red crossed her arms and smiled as she saw someone standing in front of her.

"Can I help you with something King of Heroes?"

"Hmph, so you already know my identity?" Archer replied as he leaned against the wall. "Perhaps you can answer a question of mine then in exchange."

"If you're going to ask me to lay with you in bed, I will have to decline." She stated in response, causing the former to look at her incredulously with a hint of annoyance. "Oh my? So it's not that after all?"

"Hmph! As if I would lay with a vile woman such as yourself." The Golden King stated in an unamused tone. "Were it not for the fact that I have questions for you woman, I would have taken your life for such a slight. Truly, your presence reminds me of that _wench_."

Assassin knew whom he was talking about, the way he was referring to her was filled with a tranquil yet venomous rage.

"Ah, it matters not many times it's been done. To be compared to goddess, truly there is no greater compliment for one such as I." She smiled even more so while the red-eyed blonde continued to glare at her. After all, what woman other than Ishtar herself could get such a rise out of the King of Heroes? "Well then God-King of Uruk, pray tell what have you come to me for at this time if not lay with me?"

"Do not try to play games with me, you know _exactly_ what I'm referring to."

"Is that so...?" Assassin muttered in surprise. Not at the fact that she and her Master had been discovered, but more on the fact that judging from the tone the Golden King used, his words implied that only he had known about the fact and that he had yet to inform the others in the Red Faction about it. The question running through her mind at the moment was why?

"Come, we meet in the cellar." The red-eyed blonde stated as he motioned the Assyrian Queen to follow.

* * *

"Hmm..."

That night, out in the city of Trifas, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia inspected the area around her. Behind her, holding on to her wheelchair for her, was none other than Archer of Black. Currently, both were in the middle of an empty lot that was filled to the brim with the signs of a battle having recently taken place there.

Earlier that day, the young girl had received a report from one of her familiars of strange occurrences happening within the city. She believed it to have been the result of a Servant's movement. As such, she decided to investigate the situation after asking permission from her grandfather. Though Darnic was skeptical about letting her off by herself and with Archer as her only companion, he relented which currently to led her situation.

 _'Clearly, something big happened here.'_ Fiore thought.

She knew for a fact that earlier that day all the Servants of Black had remained within the confines of the castle with the exception of Julian's Assassins. However, the latter were ordered to remain hidden while they observed the surroundings.

There was also the fact that the damage to the surroundings implied someone else entirely. Assassins fought best from the shadows, leaving no trace of their existence as they approach their mark and go in for the kill.

"What do you think Archer? What would you make of all this?"

"From how deep the indentations are and how they are all placed, I believe that the ones responsible for this were spear wielders." Archer suggested, deciding to mimic wielding one of his own in order to better demonstrate it to his Master. "A swords or perhaps an axe could easily leave the same type of marks, but there are differences in their ability to damage solid material such as this."

Fiore nodded in understanding. As expected of one who was regarded as a great teacher of heroes, his words held a modicum of sense to them that she was able to agree with her Servant instantly.

The question now was who was responsible for all this?

Lancer of Black had stationed himself at the castle all day. That only left two, one of which was Lancer of Red. The other would have been the rogue Lancer-Class Servant that her Uncle Gordes had encountered during that one night where he met with Ruler and her Servant. And according to information from her grandfather that was provided by Ruler herself, said Lancer was not alone as there were at least four more Servants like him.

Did that mean that the Red Faction had gotten into a conflict with the rogue Lancer and his associates again? That was the only conclusion that the girl could come to at the moment. And if so, what was the result of said conflict? Did the Red Faction lose on of their own? Or did the former manage to take down one of the rogues themselves? Such questions riddled the brunette's mind.

 _'If there's one thing I'm sure about this Holy Grail War, is that the existence of these rogues are going to be a problem.'_ She wondered to herself why her grandfather wouldn't want to deal with the rogues first before dealing with the Red Faction. With their combined might and resources, she was sure that the rogue Servants could have easily been dealt with by now.

Alas, she believed it to have been a futile thing to aspire to. Her grandfather had festered within him a great dislike for the Mage's Association, and working together with its members in defeating the third party must've been something that his pride wouldn't allow him to do. Add to the fact that perhaps he believed that by allowing the existence of the rogues to continue, perhaps their interference would result in withering down the strength of the Red Faction little by little.

There was logic in such a plan, but for Fiore, she believed it to be pointless. There were too many unknowns in regards to the rogue Servants and whoever they were working with. It was better if they tried to find ways in dealing with the current problem now rather than later.

 _'Perhaps I could speak with Ruler and Lord El-Melloi II about this?'_ Ruler could use her authority to once more perform another ceasefire, and in that time, Fiore could go to Waver Velvet himself and ask for a temporary alliance. She believed that the former would agree to this thanks to her duties and personal history with the rogues having attempted in taking her life twice already. The latter as well since she knew him to be a reasonable person thanks her time at the Clock Tower before the Yggdmillennia clan had decided to cut its ties with the Association.

The main problem with this was that she believed that her grandfather would not take kindly to her suggestion. She was especially afraid of what would happen should she decide to go behind his back and go through with it and his reaction later. Though she knew that he cared for her the most within the family, he was not above punishing her severely should she ever go step out of line. That much she knew.

"Master!"

"Eh...?"

Before she even realized it, Archer quickly stepped right in front of her as he struck down an incoming projectile aimed and headed straight for Fiore's head, using the sword crafted by Caster in order to perform the act. Looking down at said projectile, Fiore saw that it wasn't she thought it would be. For one, it wasn't a bullet or an arrow or anything of the like.

It was a human finger bone.

Quickly, the green-haired archer scanned the area for the perpetrator behind the attempt on his Master's life. It wasn't too long before he spotted a thuggish looking man standing atop a roof looking rather annoyed. Beside him, stood Saber of Red in her armored regalia.

"Tch, should have known that Archer would have intercepted that."

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Kairi lowered the sniper rifle he had and raised both his handgun and shotgun instead. The former was a Mauser C96 and the latter was an ordinary looking sawed-off shotgun, both modified to his suit his own purposes, said purposes meant being made to accommodate his unique brand of ammunition. After all, why buy bullets when you could use the remains of others to do the same thing?

"Hmph, I prefer it this way." Mordred stated. "Killing a person up close and personal is far more honorable than just shooting them from afar like a coward."

Earlier that day, she and her Master had gone out on patrol in order to keep an eye out for any movements from the Black Faction. They were both about to head back to the villa when they spotted the girl whom her Master had identified as Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia, one of the Masters of Black. As expected, she had her Servant alongside her, and that alone proved to the blonde that the day wasn't going to be spent as one of boredom.

"I knew you would say that." Kairi replied with a shrug as he saw Archer aim his bow at them. He cursed himself for leaving behind the hydra poison he had gotten sometime ago back at the villa. With Archer of Black's identity having been revealed to them by Lancer, he knew that it would have worked easily on the former.

"Well then, do your thing. Win, and I'll buy you a treat when this is over."

"Of course!"

With a wild grin on her face, the Knight of Treachery leaped into the fray.

* * *

"He asked you to join him?"

Taking a sip from the coffee that Arthur made, Jeanne stated her question to the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka who had approached the young saint and pleaded for her to listen to what she had to say. The french maiden decided to do so, and that led to their current situation.

"Yes, about a month ago back in Japan, Kotomine-san approached me asking for my help." Ayaka began. "At the time, I didn't think what he was going to ask me was anything dangerous. But when he said that it had something to do with the Holy Grail War, I got curious and decided to hear him out. After that, he brought me along to Romania and then showed me this."

Going over to a bag that was laid out upon another chair, Ayaka dug into it and then pulled out what appeared to be...

"A card?" Both muttered in bewilderment. It held the imagery of a pentagram on its back. On the other side, it was a complete blank.

"This is what's called a Class-Card. For the most part, it looks like an ordinary card with no special attributes." She began, allowing Jeanne to inspect the card for the moment as she continued speaking. "However, they have one special ability that allows them to be something of great value."

Ayaka then gestured for both to look at Lancer, with said two quickly realized what she meant at that moment.

"You don't mean...?" The white knight began for his Master.

"Yes, these class-cards have the ability to summon a Servant." Ayaka revealed as both Jeanne and Arthur widened their eyes in shock, looking back and forth between the card in the young saint's hands and the blue-haired spearsman who merely continued to watch his show on the television screen.

"But how is that even possible...!?" The young saint demanded. "In the first place, without a connection to the grail, sustaining a Servant is near impossible unless a person was born with the ability to store significant amounts of mana within them! Doing so without one would result in a Master quickly tiring themselves out."

"That's what I thought to, my grandmother told me all about the grail wars when I was little." Arthur perked at the mention of said grandmother. "But Kotomine-san apparently found a way to bypass the need for the a grail."

"And how did he do this?" Jeanne asked.

"From what he told me, he said that he and his group have been gathering grail shards from the fake holy grail wars for the past sixty years. He said that although the shards were nothing but remains from failed attempts of creating a grail, they still held great amounts of power within them thanks to the prana they've gathered over time."

Continuing to listen to the glasses wearing blonde, both Jeanne and Arthur began to quickly realize what she was saying.

"Then that means..." The former began, and Ayaka nodded in response.

"Yes. After some modification so that they can continue to gather mana from their natural surroundings, Kotomine-san's group implemented them within the class-cards. As a result, a single Servant can be sustained for an indefinite amount of time so long as they don't consume too much energy than what the shards and a Master can produce on their own. In addition, they use the cards as pseudo spirit cores for the Servants."

That finally explained to both why the rogue Servants could exist without a connection to the grail in Trifas. Jeanne couldn't really believe it, but here it was. And she was also able to tell that the girl in front of her was telling her the truth. Arthur held the same reaction as his Master did, but did so as a muted case.

"That explains a few things..." Jeanne began, looking at Ayaka directly. "Another question, how many class-cards does this group have? How many Servants have they managed to summon? And who made these cards in the first place?"

"Ah, I'm sorry." Ayaka apologized with a bow. "I wasn't able to learn that part after I refused to join him. The only ones I actually know about at this point would be the ones who attacked me and Lancer today."

"I see..." The young saint sighed in a disappointed tone. Seeing this, Ayaka continued to speak as she sat down back at the table.

"But what I do know is that the a single class-card is fueled by several shards put together, so that could mean that there are only a few of them." She suggested. "Also, the Master of a class-card Servant is granted a set of three Command Spells just like a regular Master would."

A thought quickly came to Ayaka's mind.

"And I don't know if this helps, but apparently some of the Heroic Spirits summoned from the class-cards were all Servants who fought in past fake grail wars."

"Wait, what...?" The young saint once more gave off another surprised look. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know much either, but apparently a Servant can be sealed within the cards in addition to being used as a summoning medium." Ayaka revealed. "And when a Servant summoned using the card dies, they'll turn back into card form and can eventually be re-summoned if the card remains intact. The downside is that they lose their memories everytime that happens apparently."

"Eventually be re-summoned..." Widening her eyes and realizing the implications of such a statement, Jeanne looked to Arthur, who held a similar look on his face. If what Ayaka said was true, then that meant that there was a chance that Robin Hood was still alive. Though unlikely thanks to the barrage Archer of Red brought upon, there was a chance that rogue's archer's card was still intact. If so, that meant they would both eventually run into him again.

Seeing the looks on both of their faces, Ayaka wondered to herself on what they could possibly be thinking about. When she decided to ponder on this, she realized what it was and began scolding herself.

 _'Ah! Stupid stupid stupid! How could I forget about that...!?'_

Though she knew about that trait regarding the cards, thanks to everything that was happening at the time, she completely forgot about checking for the rogue archer's card and taking it if possible. By this time of night, there was a chance that it was that said card was already back in the enemy's hands!

Seeing the distressed look on his Master's face, Lancer walked over to Ayaka and light tapped her head with his fist.

"Geez, would you stop worrying about it?" He spoke in an annoyed tone. "If you're that worried, we could always go back and check to find the card you know?"

"Ah, that's right!" The glasses wearing girl perked up. "If that's the case, then we really should-!"

"I would advise against that." Arthur spoke up as all looked at him. "A good amount of time has already passed since we left that place and came here. If this Shirou Kotomine has any sense at all, he would've already retrieved the card once he has a chance. I believe that to be the case. Thus, trying to go there now will be for nothing."

Finding logic in his words, Ayaka sighed as she slumped down into her spot at the table.

"Haauh... I'm such a screw up...!" At this, Jeanne decided to intervene as she went over and laid a hand on the other blonde's shoulder, giving Ayaka a comforting smile as she looked up at the young saint.

"Don't feel too bad, you've provided myself and Arthur information that will prove vital to our cause in upholding the order of the Holy Grail War. That in itself is something to be proud of." Jeanne stated, causing Ayaka to smile slightly. Seeing that she was now feeling better, the former went back to her seat as she sat down and continued their conversation.

"Ah, before I forget." The glasses-wearing blonde began. "There's another downside. Though a class-card Servant can be re-summoned, unless a Master still has one of the Command Spells they receive from the first summoning, the class-card Servant can no longer be summoned by that person and someone else must do it instead."

"So that means there's a limit." Arthur commented.

"I see. Now then, on to our main topic for the evening." Jeanne stated, and Ayaka knew what she was going to ask. "What can you tell me about Shirou Kotomine himself? Do you know what exactly his wish is in trying to win the Holy Grail for himself?"

Sighing to herself as she looked up at the ceiling for a moment before returning her gaze back towards the two.

"Kotomine-san... wants to save humanity."

"What?" Both the other two blondes muttered in surprise.

"When Kotomine-san asked me to join his group, he told me that his wish was to save humanity." Ayaka began, a crooked smile on her face. "At first, I thought he was joking. Saving humanity... it sounds like something only a little kid would want right? But Kotomine-san said he was dead serious."

"Really?" Jeanne asked. She had expected something completely different. For all the scheming and the attempts at her life, she suspected that the wish the man known as Shirou Kotomine had was going to be an evil wish. But it turns out to be something that was benevolent?

"Yes." The glasses-wearing blonde replied. "He said that, he wants to get rid of the evil that fills people's hearts, and to save our race from a great danger in the future that one of his allies had predicted. To do that, he needs the grail in order to fulfill his wish. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their goal."

"A great danger?" The young saint was now curious. Just what was this great danger about?

"Rid the evil in people's hearts?" What caught the attention of her companion was the former subject. A frown on Arthur's face as he thought about the topic before he realized something off. "Excuse me, but would you care to elaborate on that?"

"Eh? Ah, you mean that?" Arthur nodded in response as Ayaka continued. "Well, to put it simply, it's what it is. Kotomine-san wants to get rid of everything evil that's in our hearts. At first, I thought it was alright for him to do this. I mean, evil brings about only bad stuff right? But, when I realized the actual meaning of these words..."

"It means that he's willing to brainwash humanity into a life of peace and tranquility using the grail correct?" The young man stated, arms crossed with a frown on his face as he spoke. "Is that what he wishes for?"

"I don't really know for myself. I left before I could understand more about what he's actually trying to do." Ayaka replied.

"What made decide to leave in the first place?" Jeanne asked.

"Because I saw what he was willing to do." Ayaka replied as she held herself. "I found out that I wasn't the only one Kotomine-san brought along as someone to help him and his people, there were others too. But they refused and, well..."

"I see, there's no need to continue if you're feeling uncomfortable." The former replied to which the girl nodded.

"All I know is this. The grail can only grant something within human understanding as it was created by human hands. Wishing for something like wanting to save humanity... It's just something that can't be done."

"Indeed. Such a wish cannot be granted by the grail." Jeanne nodded in agreement. "And in the first place, saving humanity... if what Arthur suggested is true, then perhaps that is the reason why I was summoned."

"Reason?"

"Ruler-Class Servants are only summoned during times where the Holy Grail War has a chance of becoming a great danger to humanity." Jeanne continued. "An example would be what Arthur suggested. If a Master is chosen yet has a wish that can prove to be a rather dangerous one, then the grail would know of this and may even summon a Ruler in order to handle the situation."

"I see." Ayaka nodded in understanding.

"If what Arthur said is true, then perhaps that's the reason why I was summoned. Wishing to rid the evil in men's hearts by forcing them to become good. That would effectively cause humanity to cease in their existence as individuals. I cannot approve of such a thing. Such a wish would go against the gift that God has given to us all, and that is our ability to choose. And as the majority of humanity value that ability, a wish such as ridding the evils in our hearts, despite the well-intention it implies, would be akin to trying to go against it."

The glasses-wearing blonde once more nodded in understanding. Not long afterwards she spoke her own piece regarding the topic.

"My Uncle once taught me that there was this unseen entity known as Alaya or the Counter Force." She began. "He said that it gets rid of anything that threatens our existence as a race, destroying everything associated with the danger without remorse for those caught up in it. Like you said, Kotomine-san's wish can easily be seen as a threat itself since our ability to chose is what defines us the most. If his wish is really going to force others to his will, then Alaya could very well take action in order to prevent that."

As the two continued to discuss with one another, Arthur watched them with a keen eye. He himself had an idea of what the girl was talking about, though his knowledge somewhat differed from hers. He supposed that it was a product of being born in differing time periods.

Averting his gaze, he decided to take a look at the time. He noticed that more than an hour and a half had already passed since their discussion began. The young man was somewhat surprised by this. Had time really gone by that quickly?

"Perhaps we should take a break for now?" He called out with a clap of his hands. "This discussion is turning somewhat grim. I believe you both should refresh yourselves first before continuing any further."

"I have been wanting to take a shower by now..." Ayaka muttered to herself quietly while curling a strand of her hair on her finger.

"Very well, we'll stop here for the moment." Jeanne then looked towards the male blonde. "Arthur, I'd like to have a word with you outside."

"...?" The white knight only nodded in confusion.

* * *

"Hmph, what nonsense is this?"

There were no other words that the Golden King could use to describe the incredulous feeling he was having at the moment thanks to what Assassin had just stated in response to his question of what her Master desired from the grail.

"Is there something wrong O great King of Heroes? A gawking mouth suits you not." The raven-haired beauty stated with a smile. Currently, the two Servants of Red sat within the wine cellar where Archer had decided set up his own personal abode. The sat opposite from one another as they held their talks, drinking glasses of wine in the process.

"For all his scheming, he desires something so _childish_?" The Golden King stated, not being able to believe what he heard. How in the world a person could believe in such a thing was beyond even him.

"Truthfully, I held such a reaction myself when he told me what he desired." The Assyrian Queen replied as the smile on her face grew wide. "Normally, I would have laughed and took control of anyone who would say such a thing to me. However, as I saw in his eyes that he was truly determined to bring about such a wish, I couldn't help but become interested and as such aid him in his endeavor."

"Hmph, your Master's naivety is simply astounding." Archer clicked his tongue in distaste before taking a sip and continuing. "Saving humanity? Who is he to decide what humanity needs saving from? Only I, the King, can do so. Such an affront cannot stand."

"Don't look at me when you ask that, say it to my Master." The raven-haired beauty simply stated. "So then King of Heroes, where do we go from here? Shall we continue finishing our drinks or shall you decide to finally rise up against myself and my master?"

"Normally such utter disrespect from you would result in me taking your head and that of your Master." The Golden King declared. "However, I admit that I am curious to see just what your Master plans for the future. It may prove to be an entertaining spectacle to see the failure of a man who wishes to save the world."

"I take it that means you will not be reporting us?"

"I'll make no such promises. Perhaps I will or perhaps I will not. I may even play the role of an observer for now." Archer stated with a smirk. "However..."

Standing up and leaning over to Assassin, he grabbed the raven-haired beauty by the chin as he continued.

"Should you and your Master step out line, I _will_ take action." He declared. "And the punishment I shall deliver upon you both shall be most _severe_."

Unfazed by the threat, Assassin continued to smile as she raised the glass of wine in her hand after the Golden King released his hold on her.

"I see. Well then, shall we finish this?"

* * *

"Oh? It's you again~!"

Walking about within the castle of Yggdmillennia, the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne came across a certain male white-haired homunculus.

"Oh, it's you Rider."

"What's with that reaction? Is that anyway to greet your friends~?" The young paladin stated, complaining about the rather monotone voice the homunculus before had used just now. Said homunculus was one of the first ones had met together with the one he had named Alzir after his summoning over a month ago. Together with her and other homunculi, Astolfo had decided to befriend each and every one of them.

Lately though, he was unable to do much with the one in front of him thanks to Caster using him as one of her workers. Despite his demeanor, the homunculus was something of what one could call an ace in a variety of subjects. Though not perfect, he was able to do quite well in anything he chose to do, and such a person was helpful in Caster's tasks.

And now that he had time to think about it, he had yet to name the homunculus in front of him like he did with Alzir and some of the others. Such a thing could not stand, not while he could help it!

"Say, have you decided on a name yet~?" Astolfo began.

"A name...?"

"You know, something to call you by?"

"I know what a name is. What I was referring to would be why would I need one?"

"You know, for simplicity's sake." The young paladin stated. "You homunculi all kinda look alike to a degree. Giving you names helps to tell you apart from one another."

Taking a closer look at his friend, Astolfo realized that the homunculus actually looked somewhat similar to Saber of Black, only a lot younger, shorter hair, and far less muscular. As such, a thought immediately came to mind thanks to this bit of information. The young paladin now knew for himself what his friend's name should be.

"I know, from here on out, I'll call you Sieg!"

"Sieg?" The homunculus mouthed briefly before smiling slightly. "That seems... somewhat appropriate."

"Ahaha~! I thought so!" The pinkette smiled in delight. It was then that he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Hey Rider...!"

Caules Forvedge came into view with Berserker standing right behind him, a somewhat panicked expression on his face as though he heard of something that he really didn't like hearing about.

"There you are...! I need a favor from you!"

"Hmm?"

* * *

"Shit!"

Hiding behind a corner, Kairi narrowly dodged being slammed upon by an incoming truck thrown by his opponent. Who was said person...?

"What's the matter Mister Mercenary? Do you yield?!"

With the aid of her mystic code, the Bronze-Link Manipulator, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia stood her ground no longer bound by her wheel-chair.

"Holy shit kid, you actually made that thing yourself?" He questioned, honestly curious. According to the info El-Melloi had provided him, the young brunette he was facing was a prodigy as a magus. Having created the mystic code herself a few years back as a pre-teen or something. From what he saw, the girl was suspended in air using five giant mechanical looking spider limbs that wouldn't have looked out of place in a science fiction series as an exoskeleton mecha armor.

Using them as pseudo-legs, her speed, attack, and defense had increased dramatically from what he had initially calculated. For every shot he aimed and fired at the girl, her limbs would either block or allow her to dodge them easily. Not to mention the fact that she just used two of them to throw a car a goddamn truck at him!

"And what about it?"

For Fiore, this was the first real combat situation she had ever been in that didn't involve the watchful eye of her grandfather looking after her. As such, it would have been a lie to say that she wasn't nervous. But, she could not afford such an emotion right now. Her main goal was defeating the man before her, and if possible, have a talk with him in order discuss her earlier thoughts with the Red Faction. She tried to do so earlier, but that quickly resulted in her almost getting shot in the head once more. And that lead itself to the activation of her mystic code and the current situation.

The design of said mystic code was also partially influenced from reading some of her little brother's comic books. Nobody actually knew about this fact, and she decided to keep it that way as she found it somewhat embarrassing.

"Nothing, just makes killing you a little harder is all!"

Two shots, each fired from the two weapons in his hand went straight for the girl's head. The mechanical limbs quickly reacted and blocked the incoming attacks. Afterwards, two of her mechanical limbs raised and pointed themselves at the mercenary.

"...!"

No sooner than that, beams of light erupted from them as Kairi dodged the girl's counterattack.

* * *

"Damn it, what kind of Archer are you...!?"

"I am a teacher."

Skillfully parrying the red knight's blows with his own sword, Mordred and Chiron found themselves in a deadlock as they fought across the rooftops of the city, sparks flying from their respective blades.

"Bastard! Are you looking down on me?! Fight me seriously!" Mordred demanded. As the class titles would imply, Archer was a hero of the bow. For him to be using a sword against her instead of his own specialization, it meant to her that he was confident enough in his swordplay to best her, Saber of Red, in a contest of swordsmanship. Such an act was insulting to say the least about it. She would not allow the offense to stand, not in a battle like this!

"Not at all, I just merely wish to test your skills as closely as possible." Chiron replied. The blonde was a strong fighter indeed. Though her skills needed some work, he believed that had she lived to a longer age and thus experienced more battles, then perhaps she would have been a far better opponent than the one he was currently facing.

Trading blows with her was enough for him to confirm that she did indeed die young. Some of his apprentices had died young as well. Perhaps that was the fate of all Heroic Spirits? Such a thought only caused Chiron to sigh internally.

"Then I'll make you regret that desire...!"

With a sudden burst, the Knight of Treachery pushed her foe back a great distance. Seeing an opportunity, she quickly gathered mana within her feet and quickly closed the gap between them with the use of short burst of movement. Pouring more power into her blade, she then swung hard.

"Hah!"

Within a single strike, the sword that the green-haired Archer had been using was finally broken.

"...!"

Disarmed, Archer of Black quickly moved to further the distance between himself and his foe once more. Deciding not to take any chances with her opponent, Mordred moved to attack as he did so.

"Your head is mine!"

With one final cry, she swung her sword hard.

"...!?"

Mordred quickly widened her eyes in shock when she that Clarent had been stopped mid-swing, the blade being caught between the hands of the green-haired archer who was smirking at her after seeing the look on her face.

Before she could react, Mordred felt a heavy blow being landed upon her gut as she gasped in pain. It was followed up with two more strikes, both aimed at her chest and face. Afterwards, Archer quickly grabbed her by tossing her to the ground...

...And then followed that up by breaking her arm in half.

"Argh!" She cried out in pain, glaring at her opponent as she swung her sword at him before he could do any more damage.

Standing up, the Knight of Treachery growled out in anger at her opponent, clutching her broken arm in the process.

"Bastard! I'll make you pay for that!"

"So you're still willing to continue with such an injury?" Archer asked, chuckling slightly as he smiled at her. "Such rough child you are. You remind of one of my students."

"Save it! And don't you dare call me a child!"

And so the battle between the two resumed.

* * *

Stopping at a secluded spot a short distance away from the hotel, Jeanne turned around and faced her partner.

"Well, what do you think? Do you believe everything that that girl has told us?"

"Who knows?" Arthur replied. He knew all too well from personal experience that trusting anyone at face-value may prove to be a person's downfall. However, he had believed that the girl known as Ayaka Tohsaka was indeed telling the truth. A gut feeling of his was what made him think so, and said feeling had most of time was something to be relied upon.

"If you want my personal opinion, then I believe trusting that girl is a step in the right direction."

"I see, so you believe that too." Jeanne smiled, satisfied that he held the same views as she did.

"That wasn't all what you wanted talk about isn't it?" He asked. Had his Master only wanted to ask what his opinion of the girl was, then should have easily done so back at the hotel. "Well then, here we are. What's on your mind?"

"It's about something that's been bothering me since earlier today." The young saint began. "I forgot to ask you about this earlier thanks to meeting that girl, but now I remembered it."

Looking him directly in the eye, Jeanne continued.

"Arthur, just how exactly did you find that girl in the first place?" She asked, causing the white knight to freeze up slightly. "And there's one other thing. I couldn't sense your presence at all after you disappeared on me. I could still feel your existence, yet it felt so far away. Did something happen to you?"

"That's..." Arthur began. How would he explain it? That someone whom appeared to be his former Master appeared right before him and urged him to follow her? The moment she mentioned that his presence felt distant, his suspicions of Manaka being alive grew stronger though he was still unconvinced.

He snapped out of his thoughts when suddenly the young saint leaned forward with both hands on her hips. Arthur stepped back slightly as he saw a scolding look on her face and raised then pointed a finger at him.

"You're not hiding anything from me are you? If you are, I'll get mad."

"No, no, it's not so much as hiding so much as you haven't asked me regarding-" He began before realizing his mistake.

"Ah! So you really are hiding something?!" Jeanne demanded, her finger now touching him upon the nose as he looked at her, surprised at the action. "Arthur, as your Master, I order you to reveal what you know. I won't allow you to keep any secrets from me!"

After a few moments of deliberation within his mind, the white knight sighed and raised both hands in defeat. Trying to talk his way out of this one would prove to be futile.

"Well, I suppose there's no real harm in telling you about it." He stated before smiling. "Be prepared though, because you may find what I'm about to tell you to be a shock."

Jeanne looked at her partner slightly confused but nonetheless decided to listen to what Arthur had to say.

* * *

"Ah...!"

Before she even knew it, Fiore found herself on the ground grasping her right arm in pain.

Though she had the upper hand for the majority of their battle, the mercenary had managed to bypass her defenses and shoot a hole through her shoulder. Not long after that, he fired off two more shots that were powerful enough that it caused two of the legs that supported her to collapse.

 _'I need to call Archer here now...!'_ She thought, her wound causing her mind to be filled with pain as she worked to heal it with her magecraft. At the same time, she began to telepathically contact her Servant.

Fiore quickly snapped out of it however when another bullet bounced off the pavement near her, causing the brunette to quickly hide behind some cover.

"Sorry about this kid, nothing personal." Kairi called out as he himself hid behind some cover, making sure to not take any chances. The giant-ass spider limbs were both expected and unexpected. Who knew what else the girl had in store for him.

"Please wait a moment!" Fiore cried out. "If you just listen to what I have to say, then you would-"

"Like I already said, I ain't hearing it." The necromancer replied. "You know how it works with magi kid. Never trust anyone."

Even if he was working with the Red Faction for now, Kairi knew that he would have to face off against the other in the near future once the Masters of Black and their Servants were dealt with. Although he disliked the idea of killing people he called comrades for the sake of his own wish, it was a price he was willing to pay. Still though, he slightly hoped that it wouldn't have to come down to that.

Waver Velvet was someone he had worked with in the past, enough to consider the man as a casual acquaintance. And he was adverse to the thought of killing what he considered to be children, though his current actions at the moment would soon lead to the death of one.

"Heh, I'm starting to go soft." He chuckled to himself. He would need to work that out later. Right now, he had a fight that he needed to win.

Standing up, Kairi ran over to the prone Fiore, stopping to aim his handgun at her head as the young brunette began to glare at him as he came into her field of vision.

No more words were spoken when the necromancer fired what he considered to be his final shot of the day. Even with the use of a Command Spell, Archer of Black wouldn't be able to make it back in time to aid his Master. His victory was already assured...

...is what Kairi thought. However, before he even realized it, he had let his guard down. And that alone was enough...

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER YOU GORILLA-FACED BASTARD!"

...for Caules Forvedge to act.

"What the hell?!"

The necromancer cried out in pain as his hand was struck with a stone thrown by Caules who appeared at a corner. The stone was thrown so hard, that it was able to deflect his aim elsewhere, causing the would be fatal shot to miss its target.

"Caules!"

"Son of a bitch!"

Kairi cried out aimed his shotgun at Caules and fired as the young man hid behind said corner.

"Hey! Leave our mother out of this you terminator wannabe!" The latter reprimanded as he decided to take a peek before quickly going back as he narrowly avoided being shot in the face. "And watch were you're shooting! Have some consideration for the people who live in this city dammit!"

Once he discovered that Fiore went into the city by herself, Caules had immediately became worried about his older sister. Despite knowing that she could take care of herself, his sister was a soft person at heart. As such, he couldn't help but track her down in order to keep an eye on her. He couldn't have been more right once he saw her current condition.

"Come and make me you little punk!" The necromancer yelled in response. He hadn't expected the younger brother to appear, rescuing his older sister no less. From what intel he had been able to gather about the two, Caules Forvedge had been treated as second-rate and poor-man's substitute to his much more talented older sister. He had seen similar cases in the past, and most of said cases usually involved a sibling rivalry.

However, that didn't appear to be the case with two before him. What the young man had yelled just now confirmed it for the mercenary. Caules loved his sister enough to not give a damn about about their positions in life. As such, he couldn't help but respect the kid a little once he confirmed this in his thoughts.

"Hey kid! Why don't we make a deal!?" Kairi called out. "I let your sister go, you and I take each other on man to man. Winner gets to leave with their lives intact."

"Screw you! I ain't here for a contest of measuring dicks you idiot, I'm here to get my sister!" Such a statement nearly caused Kairi to falter, particularly at the former's description for his deal. "Rider! Berserker! What are you two waiting for?!"

"Wha-!? Ah, shit!"

The necromancer quickly ducked out of the way as he saw Berserker of Black materialize right before him and narrowly avoided being stabbed by her spear. Not long after her appearance, Rider of Black landed right beside the Servant of Madness with a grin on his face.

"Good evening~" The latter stated.

"Wow! Were you born with that face? I feel so sorry for you~" Elizabeth smirked.

"Oi!"

"Now that's a bit too much isn't it Berserker?" The young paladin chuckled as he went over to Fiore and carried her in his arms. Quickly, he leaped over to where Caules was and not long afterwards did Archer of Black appear right beside them.

"Oh~! Archer!"

"Good evening my friend." He greeted before facing Fiore with a shameful look on his face. "My apologies Master. I wasn't able to arrive on time."

Continuing while facing Caules, Chiron spoke. "Master Caules, I must apologize to you as well. Had you not arrived when you did-"

"Enough about that. Right now focus on the guy who tried to kill my sister." Caules replied, noticing the rather severe gash on Archer's left arm. He then glared at the mercenary while also relishing the panicked look on his face as he realized that he was severely outnumbered right now with the presence of three Servants against him.

"YOU BASTARD!"

A voice called out in the form of Mordred landing right beside her Master with an even angrier look on her face than usual. When Kairi looked more closely, he quickly understood why. At the moment, her left arm was flailing about slightly, indicating that it was broken. Caules noted that she must've been the one responsible for Archer's injury given that her blade was dripping with blood.

"Don't you dare run away from me!" She demanded. Through sheer effort and determination, she was able to get even with Archer for breaking her arm earlier by taking the use of his own. Served him right!

"That's enough, we can't win this one." The mercenary quickly stated as he laid a hand on his Servant's shoulder. "We gotta move now!"

"But that's...!" The Knight of Treachery wanted to voice her thoughts on the matter, but even she was able to note that they were outnumbered right now. As much as she disliked it, retreat was the best course of action for the time being, especially with her broken arm.

"Damn it, I'll be back to settle the score!" Mordred stated as she hefted her Master onto her shoulder, the man cried out that his current position was undignified.

"You're not getting away...!" Elizabeth moved to follow, but all were quickly stopped when Fiore called out to everyone.

"W-Wait a moment! Please, everyone just calm down!"

Such an action was enough to get their attention. Why wouldn't it? After all, from the young brunette's appearance alone, one would think that she was a delicate thing. Which was especially so with her disabled legs. However, the act of raising her voice proved otherwise.

Seeing that all eyes were on her, Fiore continued to speak.

"Mister Shishigou was it? That is your name right?" She said as she motioned for Archer to get her wheelchair for her.

"Yeah. What about it?" Kairi questioned, Mordred having chosen to settle him down again. Easily outnumbered, he supposed that listening to the young brunette was the best course he could take for now without retreating to a safer location.

"Please, I ask that you relay a message to Lord El-Melloi when you see him." Fiore replied. "It concerns the existence the of the rogue servants that have attempted to take Ruler's life in the past."

"Yeah... what about them?"

"So long as they exist, I believe that this Holy Grail War that we have been chosen to participate in will never be concluded normally." She stated. "As such, I believe that it would be necessary to deal with them first before we turn our Servants against each other as per the custom of the war."

"Wait, you're not asking for-"

"That is indeed what I'm aiming for. I wish to hold a temporary alliance."

* * *

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you participated in another Holy Grail War before?"

Unable to believe what she just heard, Jeanne looked at Arthur with a very surprised look on her face.

"Are you surprised at the fact that I fought in one before or the fact that I remember it?" Arthur asked, smiling slightly.

"Both." She stated in response. "Arthur, just how is it possible? The Holy Grail War may summon Heroic Spirits as Servants, but by nature, we are nothing more than copies of the originals that exist outside of the plane of time within the Throne of Heroes."

"There are always exceptions to the rule." Arthur replied. "I just happen to be one of those exceptions. Remember the title of the book about me that belongs to Laeticia? The one that I was reading about the morning after we arrived in the city?"

"The Once and Future King? Oh..."

Realizing what such a title would imply, Jeanne could only react in such a way.

"In some versions of the story, King Arthur never died. He merely fell into a deep sleep." The white knight began. "Though he was mortally wounded by his rival Mordred, he was taken to the sacred land of Avalon in order to heal his wounds, with the people waiting for the day he would awaken once more and rise to take back his place as the one true king of the land."

"Then is it true? That you're still alive?" The young saint asked. "But, if that's truly the case, then how is it that you can be here? Since you're still alive, you cannot be summoned as Servant, much less be called a Heroic Spirit yet."

"Well, the answer to that is both yes and no." Arthur replied. "It's true that since I am still alive I cannot be called a proper Heroic Spirit yet. I won't bother you with all the details. Just know that the form you see me in right now is me as I was on my deathbed. And that is the reason why I cannot go into spirit form and why I can remember events from a past summoning unlike other Servants. Until I obtain the Holy Grail for myself, I am what one could call an incomplete Heroic Spirit."

Jeanne blinked in surprise at this. She had believed that it was because of a fault in the summoning process that caused Arthur's inability to turn into spirit form. But now it turns out that it was due to something else entirely.

She was also curious to learn more about the young man's special circumstances. Still though, it wasn't the time. Perhaps she could ask more about it later. Right now, there was still the matter they were discussing earlier.

"So then, what happened earlier?"

"I encountered someone I used to know." Arthur stated, causing the young saint to look at him once more in surprise. "My former Master, a girl who went by the name Manaka Sajyou. Over sixty years ago, she and I fought in the Holy Grail War in the land known as Japan."

"Sixty years ago... wait, you fought in that war?"

According to the information from the grail, the war that took place sixty years ago was the same one that served as a precursor towards the ones that soon began all over the world. And right now, she had someone with her who participated in that fight.

"Yes. During that time, only myself and the other six Servant classes were summoned." The white knight replied. "Though thanks to circumstance, there was also a Ruler-Class Servant at the time."

"A Ruler-Class Servant was summoned back then?" Jeanne quickly asked in bewilderment.

"Yes there was." Arthur revealed. "Back then, the world was caught in the middle of the event known as World War II. I suppose the Grail felt that with all the commotion it needed to summon one in order to preserve some semblance of order."

The young saint nodded at this. With what knowledge Laeticia had regarding World War II, Jeanne was able to understand enough regarding the topic.

"Wait, would that mean you met Lancer of Black's Master before? The man known as Darnic?" Arthur nodded in response. "Now I see. I suppose that would explain those strange looks he was giving you back then."

Getting back on topic, Jeanne poised the question to the male blonde.

"Anyway, you were saying something about your former Master?"

"Indeed. I saw whom I believed to be my former Master." Arthur began, the expression on his face turning somewhat grim. "The blonde hair, blue dress and eyes, she looked _exactly_ like her. Because of that, I suppose I couldn't help but ignore everything for just so I could confirm that it was her. But in the end, it resulted in me losing track of her and coming across Ayaka and Lancer."

"But how would that be even possible? It's been sixty years since then." Jeanne stated before realizing something. There was actually a possibility of that happening, one of the methods to which was something that she was about to ask the young man.

"Arthur, did you and her-?"

"No, I did _not_ win the Holy Grail War back then." The white knight quickly stated in response. "Due to circumstance, she and I both died along the way."

"I see..." She should've expected that considering his earlier words. At this, the young saint couldn't help but feel sorry for her partner. He had his chance at the Holy Grail only to be killed at one point. Now he had been summoned once again, only this time he was unable to participate in the fight for the Holy Grail due to her. She couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty.

Seeing the look on her face, Arthur sighed as he realized what she was probably thinking and laid a hand on his Master's head. This caused the young saint to look up at him with a surprised expression.

"Don't feel bad. After all, I was the one who chose to cast aside my wish in order to aid you in the first place."

"But still..."

"You're a kindhearted person Jeanne, it's something I like about you." The young man smiled at her. "But I have already sworn an oath to stand by your side as both your Servant and as your friend. As such, no matter what comes nor my own personal desires, you may always count on me to lend you a helping hand should you ever need it."

Such a statement together with the smile Arthur gave off only resulted in the young saint blushing slightly in response. Really now, did he really have to make it sound like that? Because of it, she couldn't help but react the way she did.

"You must've been quite the charmer weren't you?" She muttered quietly, though loud enough to be heard.

"Hmm?" The young man looked at his Master clueless to what she was referring to.

"No, it's nothing." She shook her head in response, her blush fading. Now was not the time for such talk. "Is there anything else you need to tell me? About your former Master that is?"

"Manaka was..." He began, a frown forming on his face once more. "A special child to say the least. If what I encountered really was her... no, I don't want to think about it."

Noticing his tone of voice and expression, Jeanne wondered to herself what kind of relationship her friend had with his former Master. His reaction just now... perhaps it was guilt due to his inability to protect her in the past? From what she knew of Arthur, she thought that this was the most likely case.

"It may be that someone knew about my relation to her and used it to play a trick on me?" Arthur suggested.

"Could it have been Darnic? He was one of the enemy Masters you fought in the past correct?" The young saint pointed out.

"Perhaps. He's the only person I could think of right now." Arthur replied. "However, it doesn't make any sense. Why bother with such trickery? Was it so that I would discover what was happening regards to Ayaka and Lancer? He wouldn't even need to do such a thing, and even then, I doubt he already knows about the two of them. If so, he either would try to recruit them to his cause or silence them himself since they are outsiders. Such was the man that Manaka and I fought long ago."

There was also the fact that Arthur's presence earlier felt rather distant. Was it magecraft that caused such an effect? The young saint couldn't help but wonder this. Such a complicated matter had been presented before her. She thought she had enough to deal with, but now this?

 _'My Lord, please give me strength.'_ Jeanne silently prayed to herself.

* * *

"So Ayaka, what you think about those two?"

Having finished taking a shower and refreshing herself, Ayaka entered her bedroom wearing a set of cat pajamas while still drying her hair. Lancer appeared at the door while poising his question to her.

"What I think?" Ayaka began as she was immersed in her personal thoughts. "Well, I really feel like they're both trustworthy people. Ruler-san and Saber-san... both of them must've great people back in their lifetimes. I can feel it."

"So you really think we should work together with them? Fine by me." Lancer stated with a shrug. "After all, you lead and I follow. That's how this gig works."

"Are you saying we shouldn't trust them?"

"What? No." The blue-haired spearsman replied. "Saber helped save your life. That makes him good enough in my book. And if a guy like that serves someone like Ruler, then I suppose trusting both of them is a no brainer."

Lancer could tell that Saber was someone of high moral conduct, one glance at him was able to prove it. He also had an idea of what the latter's identity was thanks to Ruler calling him "Arthur". There was only one hero that came to mind when he heard that name, and if he was right, then he supposed that Saber's mannerism and how he held himself earlier wouldn't have been that much a surprise. Knight Kings tended to be like that he supposed.

Noticing his Master had suddenly gone quiet, Lancer looked at Ayaka and saw that she was staring off into space with her face slightly red for some reason.

"What's wrong missy? You caught a fever or something? Your face is turning red."

"E-Eh!?" She squeaked briefly. "A-Ah, it's nothing! Nothing at all!"

"Hmm?"

Ayaka sighed in relief when she saw the clueless look on Lancer's face. Just now, her thoughts had been centered around Saber, specifically him smiling at her earlier while holding her protectively. It was like she was a princess being rescued by a knight. She was glad that she hadn't said anything during her brief daze. Otherwise, her Servant would probably make fun of her relentlessly for what she was thinking.

 _'Saber-san... he's a lot like the prince that grandma would always tell me about during her stories.'_ The blonde thought. It was something that's been instilled into her memory since she was a child. Blonde hair, green eyes, white armor, the personality of a gentlemen, they all matched. And because of said stories, Ayaka had a weakness for men who were the arch-typical knight in shining armor. It was something that she was quite embarrassed about, and Rin would often make fun of her because of this trait.

 _'Not that she's any different considering that boy she has a crush on. What was his name again...?'_

Ayaka didn't really know much about said person since she began living in Tokyo with her grandmother around a year ago. The only times she saw him where whenever she had enough free time to spend a few days within Fuyuki together with her relatives. That said, he was a nice enough young man from what she knew of him. He was kinda like a modern day knight, though he tended to be somewhat oblivious. Rin and Sakura had met and befriended him around the same time she moved to the capital.

 _'I think his name was Emiya Shirou...?'_

She found it slightly humorous that the boy that Rin, and Sakura when she thought about it, liked had shared the same first name with Kotomine Shirou. Said person was someone that Rin couldn't get along with since she always had a bad feeling about him whenever he was around.

 _'In hindsight, I suppose Rin was right about this one.'_

The girl began wondering how Rin would react to the current situation that she was in. The glasses wearing blonde believed that she would probably try to take the fight directly to their enemies with Sakura trying to hold her sister back from trying to do anything stupid. Said thought brought a smile to Ayaka's face.

While having said thoughts, Ayaka went over and picked up the cellphone that laid on a desk. Unlike her relatives, most especially Rin, she was modernized. She couldn't really understand why most magi wouldn't approve of modern day technology. She supposed that it was due to pride in their magecraft that caused such a thing.

 _'Maybe I should call home?'_

Playing with the phone in her hand for a good moment or so, she sighed before setting it back down onto the desk.

 _'No, if I do, I may want to just up and leave.'_ She thought to herself. ' _Right now, I can't allow anything to distract me. Kotomine-san must be stopped.'_

Her resolve strengthened once more, the blonde decided to finish up with her current task of drying her hair.

* * *

Later that night...

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yep, that kid Fiore wants both of our forces to team up for now."

Seated within Waver's office were both the long-haired man himself, Rider of Red, and Kairi, the latter of which having just explained everything that happened to him and Saber that night. They arrived at the villa shortly after their talk with Fiore.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" The latter asked.

"She does have a point. Right now, there are at least five rogue Servants running about. I doubt the Holy Grail War can ever be conducted properly with their existence." Waver replied. He personally knew Fiore Forvedge. Not well, but enough to know that she was a reliable and trustworthy person for a magus.

"So we're going to take what she said seriously?" The mercenary asked once more. Personally, he didn't like the idea as he did not trust the members of Yggdmillennia. They were after all their opponents in the Holy Grail War.

"I say why not?" Rider stated with a grin on his face. "Working together sounds like a good idea and a fun endeavor to me. And allying with them may also prove to be a fortunate boon for us. The more we know about their Servants, the more we'll be able to make effective countermeasures don't you agree?"

"Well we already know the identities of Saber, Lancer, Archer, and Rider." Waver replied. "But I suppose it doesn't hurt to learn more about them. A temporary alliance it may be, but it should still provide us with something in the long run."

Soon afterwards, the long-haired man sent out a familiar carrying his reply towards the Masters of Black. He thought for a moment that perhaps it was going to be a trap. As such, he decided to request Fiore to bring _that_ person along if they wanted to have a meeting. After all, she was serving as a mediator for the Holy Grail War.

"I don't like this." Kairi muttered before a knock on the door interrupted him and their discussion.

"Brother." A voice called out from the other side.

"Reines? Come in." Waver replied as the young blonde entered the room together with Gray. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"I thought that you would like to know that priest known as Kotomine has left the premises. Gray noticed something off when she passed by his room earlier. After she decided to enter it, she found that it was empty of all valuables and possessions." She revealed as much to others shock and surprise.

"He left us without warning...?" Waver asked with a frown on his face. "For him to disappear on us now of all times."

"Hmph, so that man has already decided to make his move?"

Quickly turning their gazes at the source of the voice, everyone looked to see Archer of Red leaning against the wall with both arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Do you know something Archer?" Reines inquired.

"Perhaps I do, what of it?" He asked, a mocking grin on his face as he looked at his young master.

"Then I ask that you tell us about it." The blonde-haired girl stated, irritated by the look on her Servant's face.

"Very well then, I shall tell you what I know." The Golden King replied. "However, I expect proper recompense for what I am about to tell you."

* * *

After their meeting and subsequent agreement to work with one another, Jeanne decided that staying together with Ayaka and Lancer would be the best course of action for now. As such, the two blonde heroes made their way towards the church in order to pick up Laeticia's belongings. Though Arthur stated that he could do it by himself, Jeanne wanted to come along in order to personally say goodbye and thank Sister Petresia and the others for allowing the two to stay at the church.

The young saint was slightly saddened by their parting. Though she knew that her time in the realm of the living was limited due to being a Servant, she couldn't help but bond with those at the church, most especially Sister Petresia whom she got along with best.

Soon after achieving what they came to do, the two immediately headed back towards the hotel. When Sister Petresia discovered this, and taking into account how late at night it already was when they arrived, a smile erupted onto her face as an embarrassed Jeanne quickly stated that it wasn't anything she was thinking of. The elderly nun only continued to smile as she waved the two off as they left the church.

Really now, for a sister, she enjoyed teasing people didn't she? Or perhaps it was only her?

 _'Now then... with all the information that Miss Ayaka has brought forth, what should we do now?'_ Jeanne thought. Though much had been made clear thanks to Ayaka, there was still the matter that with the numbers that Shirou Kotomine had, they would need to assemble an equivalent force. The first thing she had in mind was to go to either Faction for aid. But she didn't know which one to choose...

Lancer of Black and his Master had a sinister aura to their presence, but even then she felt that neither of the two could be considered a true enemy. However, because of said attributes, she felt she wouldn't be able to work well with both.

Then there was the man known as Waver Velvet on the other hand had a more reasonable air to him despite Jeanne having only met him once, and that was during the first night. Having agreed to her call for a temporary ceasefire before, she felt that she could go to him. Though there was a chance he was in collusion with Shirou Kotomine since they were both in the Red Faction.

 _'What to do...'_ She thought, her mind debating on what course of action would be best. The young saint felt like she was going in circles, repeating the same question to herself over and over again.

"Wait, is that a bird...?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Jeanne heard Arthur speak and looked to see what he was referring to.

What she saw was a small bird flying towards them. Seeing this, the young saint stretched out one of her hands as the small creature landed right on top of it. Attached to its leg was a piece of paper. She was quickly able to identify it as a familiar. But who did it belong to was the question.

Taking the piece of paper off the bird's leg, the small creature flew off as the young saint rolled it open. Jeanne saw that it was a message from one of the Masters of Black.

"What does it say?" Arthur asked.

"It says that the Black Faction requires my presence. And the reason to why that is..." The young saint's expression turned into one of surprise and shock. "They want me to mediate a meeting between them as they form an alliance!?"

"Wait, an alliance?"

"Yes. It seems like the one known as Fiore Forvedge recognizes the threat the rogue Servants pose to the Holy Grail War and its participants. She wants both factions to work together for the time being in order to eliminate them. She even says that leader of the Red Faction, Rider's Master, has agreed to it as well. The meeting is to take place a day from now." Jeanne replied with a smile on her face.

This could prove to be just what they needed! With everything that's been happening, she was wondering to herself who could be trusted and who could not. If what was stated here was genuine, then perhaps she finally found a solution to one of their problems. Jeanne prayed that this would be the case.

Arthur himself only had one thing to say regarding this new piece of information.

"Well now, I suppose things have taken a rather interesting turn."

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

And so ends Chapter 11, hope you guys liked it.

The thing with Sieg's name. Yeah, I decided to stick with his original name from the novel's instead of making up a new one by providing the reason that since the former looks a little like Siegfried, Astolfo thinks it would be an appropriate name for him. That said, they don't actually look all that alike, even after the former gets the latter's heart and his body changes accordingly in the original novels. So just roll with it XP.

The fight scene with Kairi, Mordred, Fiore, and Chiron was more or less taken from the original novels. Caules interference was there too, though this time he was joined by Astolfo and Elizabeth in rescuing Fiore. As you all have read, the Class-Cards are being used here. Though when compared to Prisma-Illya, I've modified their use compared to that verse.

Anyway, that's it for now. Please leave a review :D


	12. Act I-12: The Banquet of Heroes

_**AN: And here comes CH12 Folks! Please read and review :D  
**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 12:**_

 _ **The Banquet of Heroes**_

* * *

"Are you ready Saber?"

Within a large room that was void of anything except those who stood within it, Caster of Black poised her question to the tall swordsman who nodded in response. Other than herself and said person who stood in the middle, Darnic, Lancer of Black, Gordes, Celenike, and her young Master Roche were all in attendance for the event that was about to happen.

"Are you quite certain that performing the summoning for that creature here is a wise thing to do? Considering that we're underground..." Celenike voiced. Though the gray-haired woman had her share of risk and gambling with her life, what they were about to do would have been a rather dangerous task all things considered.

"Considering that the other option is to perform outside where our enemies could bare witness to it, I'm quite certain." The blue-haired man replied. He wasn't bothered by Celenike's concerns, mostly due to the fact that with three Servants here, he believed that they could stand against anything, even a dragon.

The moment Darnic had obtained the relic that would later summon Caster, he immediately began construction on an additional chamber for where they would house the beast if need arise. After hearing that she didn't actually know how to summon and control it, he had believed that it would have gone to waste. However, thanks to researching extensively through the past few months, Caster eventually learned how to do so. Yet she still lacked the ability to control the beast.

Darnic however was able to discover a method, learning how through old research notes from his ancestors and other data obtained throughout the years. Caster actually knew of the method, but little of it as it wasn't her field of expertise. That said, she was able to quickly grasp what was needed by studying the notes given to her by Darnic.

The first step to said option included summoning the creature and having Saber of Black face it himself. After all, what better opponent for a dragon other than a dragon-slayer? That left Lancer standing by acting as the former's backup if need arise.

"As much as I would like to have all our Servants here, I'll admit I am curious to see whether or not the legend lives up to his reputation." Lancer commented with a smirk. "Be sure to take this seriously Saber, otherwise you may end up looking like a fool in need of rescuing."

"Very well." Saber nodded. He wasn't insulted or agitated by Lancer's attempts at goading him, for he knew that the former was only merely saying that he should watch himself in his own way. Though rough, the Lord Impaler still showed a degree of care towards his comrades even if they were to end up fighting in the near future.

"Remember Saber, not only is your life on the line, but your pride and my own as well!" Gordes declared, standing with both hands behind his back. "Do not perform less than what your best can do, do you understand me?"

"Uncle, I think Lancer more or less already said that..." Roche stated while scratching his cheek. Really now, what was it with people and the their need to repeat statements which were just said? This is why he liked working with golems more, and to a lesser extent, homunculi. Though the latter could make snippy remarks due to their nature, they were for the most part quiet and obedient.

"That reminds me," Darnic began as he looked at Gordes. "Gordes, have you heard of anything from Fiore? That girl went into the city earlier to investigate something and has yet to send any word about her status."

"No, I haven't." The portly man replied. "However, I did walk past by Caules earlier who was looking for her."

"Oh? Did something happen?"

"Nothing of the sort as far as I know. Only that the boy is worried about his sister." Gordes stated. "I believe that he even took Berserker and Rider with him in order to search the city for her. You know how he can be."

"Hmph. If that weakling has time to worry over others, perhaps he should spend it trying to improve his skills as a magus." Celenike scoffed. She was also annoyed at the fact that Rider decided to tag along with her nephew as well. Really now, she was his Master! She would have to remind him of that later. For now, she decided to bare witness to what was about to occur.

"Perhaps." Darnic said in response to Celenike's statement. "However, his worry over Fiore serves to be useful in this situation. Knowing him, he'll strive to be by her side whenever he feels that she's in danger and try to help her in any way possible. Such is the power that sibling love has."

"Shall we begin Lord Darnic?" Caster suddenly asked, turning to the blue-haired man. "The preparations are now complete. All I await now is your command."

"Do it."

The Witch of Betrayal nodded in response, raising her arm up in front of her with her hand stretched out. Chanting the words needed, a large magic circle appeared right in front of Saber, who himself remained unfazed during the process as energy began to surge throughout the room.

Months of preparation had gone into this, now it was about to pay off. Thinking this, she walked over to the edge of the circle and summoned what appeared to be a golden cloth in her hand before throwing it onto ground. At that, the energy began to surge erratically even more.

"Now it begins..."

A bright light then enveloped the room and temporarily blinded those who stood within it. The only ones who weren't bothered by it were the Servants themselves.

Once the light died out, the Masters of Black slowly opened their eyes. While they did so, a large grin appeared on Lancer's face that was soon followed up by Darnic's own as they all saw what stood right before Saber of Black.

A dragon...

A serpentine like monstrosity with a long body, three tongues, and a crest on its forehead. Lacking legs, the only other appendages it had were the wings on its back. It was truly the Colchian Dragon of legend, such was the thought of those in the room the moment they laid their eyes upon it.

"Magnificent! Simply magnificent!"

The dragon payed no heed towards whatever Lancer had said. Instead, it was completely occupied with what was standing right in front of him.

It was curious as to why the creature in front of him wasn't terrified. Throughout its lifetime, most others who were the small creature's size would quickly run away after seeing it merely once. It supposed that such a thing was normal, that it was simply nature for the small to fear the big.

Apparently this was not the case right now. If a dragon could have pride, the Dragon of Colchis most certainly did. When it saw that Saber of Black wasn't afraid of it, he took that as an affront to its might. As such, it could not allow it to stand.

Roaring, it stretched out its wings and prepared to attack.

In response, Saber merely drew out his sword and readied himself. There was only one thing he had to say regarding the large beast that was right in front of him as it bare its fangs at him.

Fafnir was bigger...

* * *

The next morning...

"Wait, there's going to be an alliance between the two factions?"

Ayaka sat with her mouth agape, staring at both Jeanne as the former revealed the new piece of information given to her last night. Currently, the group was having breakfast with Arthur having been the one to cook their meals after insisting that he be allowed to do something other than just sit around. Ayaka had to admit that he wasn't half-bad. She didn't expect a heroic spirit of all things to be able to cook a meal like how a modern person would.

"Yes, it will take place tomorrow night at the Black Faction's castle." Jeanne replied, taking a bite out of her meal.

"I see." Ayaka muttered before something came to mind. "Wait, why are you telling me this?"

"Ah, that's because I want you and Lancer to accompany both me and Arthur there." The young saint stated in response. "With everything you've given me, I use it help enforce the idea of an alliance between the two factions against the man known as Shirou Kotomine. Considering your unique circumstances, having you explain it yourself adds more to our case."

"Uh... are you sure they'll even trust me?" The glasses-wearing blonde asked, shivering slightly in fear. "I heard that the leader of the Black Faction once fought against one of my relatives in the past. He may not like the idea of, you know..."

Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of relative. He was wondering if it was Manaka whom she was referring to, or if it was one of the other Masters he had fought during together with her sixty years ago? Darnic Prestone was one of the few he remembered, and that was thanks to seeing him again after all these years.

"Do not worry, I will vouch for your presence there." The young saint reassured her fellow blonde with a smile.

"Well that's something I guess..." Ayaka sighed. She had a feeling that she would have to speak in front of a group of people later. Personally, she'd rather hide in a corner before she would do that. Though the girl had felt that she was a sociable enough person, she always found trouble speaking when faced with so many eyes baring down upon her.

"With that out of the way, I have something to ask you guys about."

With that, Lancer came upon the group with a cigarette in hand and smoke fumes coming out from his mouth.

"What is it Lancer?" Ayaka looked at her Servant with a curious gaze.

"Wait, if you're going to smoke, do it out on the balcony." Arthur reprimanded. Really now, what would Lancer do if he accidentally set off the sprinkler system within the room with that cigarette of his?

"Geez, lighten up a little would you? It's only a light smoke." The blue-haired spearsman replied in a somewhat sardonic tone. "Anyway, your identities. Mind telling us what they are?"

"Ah, Lancer!" Ayaka began, astounded that her Servant would even ask something like that so casually.

"I see that you don't beat around the bush, do you Hound of Chulainn?" Jeanne replied. She had been expecting this from Lancer. "Very well then, since we are in an alliance with one another, I suppose revealing our identities to you wouldn't pose too much of a problem. I suppose we can treat it as formally introducing ourselves to each other."

"I had a feeling you'd know my name already." Lancer smirked slightly as he sat down on a chair.

"Is that really okay though?"

"It's not like our names are something we're trying to hide." Arthur chuckled and smiled. "Considering my Master's status as the mediator of this Holy Grail War, her identity was bound to be discovered one way or another. Revealing it the two factions was a sign of trust on her part, that in knowing her identity, it showed that she will truly remain neutral as a mediator. Mine as well considering my role as her Servant."

Ayaka nodded in understanding, the young man's words making enough sense to her. She also wondered why a Servant could summon another Servant for herself, but she regaled it to the fact that since there were fourteen Servants, perhaps she needed an insurance to help her mediate the war. The only solution she could think of would be to summon another Servant herself.

"Now then, let's begin." The young saint began as she gestured to herself. "My name is Jeanne d'Arc. It's a pleasure to meet you Ayaka Tohsaka, let us work together for the sake of preserving tomorrow shall we?"

"E-Eh? Ah, right!" Ayaka smiled as she and Jeanne shook hands. The former was somewhat awestruck at the fact that she was meeting a real live saint. Considering that her family were actually Catholics, though not as faithful as some considering their profession as a family of magi, she supposed that this was one of the highest honors she could have from a religious point of view, especially since that person was Jeanne d'Arc herself.

"And my name is Arthur Pendragon. As we are now allies, please count on me for aid in the future should you ever need it." Arthur stated afterwards as both the glasses-wearing blonde and Lancer looked at him.

"E-Eh!?" Saber was King Arthur!? Ayaka couldn't help but blink in surprise and shock that she was meeting one of the more famous mythological figures throughout the world. It was no wonder that she found that he had such a regal presence to him.

"I knew it." Lancer commented with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, so you already knew?"

"Had a feeling about who you were the moment Ruler mentioned your name last night." Lancer replied. "That, and that holy sword of yours is kinda famous don't you know? Hard to mistake it for something else."

"That it is..." The young man couldn't help but agree on Lancer's statement.

"Wait, what's with that reaction...?"

Off to the side, Jeanne couldn't help but pout in annoyance as she commented upon the differing reaction that Ayaka had in response to finding out her identity and her response to Arthur's. She suppose that it couldn't be helped considering her partner's identity. But still, she couldn't help but get annoyed.

 _'Ah, I shouldn't act like this.'_ She then scolded herself mentally. _'As a servant of the Lord, I shouldn't allow myself to fall to vanity.'_

Jeanne then proceeded to finish her meal that morning, her thoughts drifting the eventual meeting that would take place tomorrow night between the two factions of Red and Black. Wondering to herself if _that person_ would show up there.

 _'I doubt that man would decide to show his face now that we know about him. But, I suppose we should be ready for anything just in case.'_

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Around the same time Jeanne and her group were having breakfast, Caules and Fiore were in the latter's room shortly after she woke up. The former stood watch over his older sister the entire night due to his worry for her after receiving an injury from the terminator wannabe she had fought.

"Really now Caules, you shouldn't worry so much about me." Fiore stated as she smiled at him. She felt that she was blessed to have such a caring younger brother. In most other magi families, siblings caring for each other would be a laughable idea to some.

"Sorry, I can't help it." Caules replied. "Seriously though, you really think working together with the Masters of Red is a good idea?"

"Yes." The female brunette said in response. "With our combined strength, I most certainly believe that we will be able to handle the situation of the rogue Servants and whoever is in charge of them."

"In charge of them?"

"Be honest Caules, you don't actually think that those rogue Servants aren't working for anybody?"

"Point taken." The young man said as he sat down a chair. "Still, I'm amazed that you managed to convince grandfather to agree to it."

"Well, it wasn't that hard..." Fiore grimaced.

Soon after returning home last night, she quickly found out that her grandfather had discovered what she had done. To say that he was somewhat livid would be understating it. Had it not been for the fact that Lancer approved of the idea, Fiore felt that she would have been punished by her grandfather for even thinking about working together with the Mage's Association.

A knock on the door quickly interrupted any thoughts she had left as the young brunette called out that it was open.

"Master, I brought both you and young master Caules breakfast."

Smiling as he did so, Chiron entered the room with a tray filled with food enough for two people. Looking at his right arm, Caules noticed that despite the wound having been already closed thanks to Fiore's magic, it wasn't fully healed yet. He could tell since there was a slight difference in how he moved left arm in comparison to his right. That may prove a problem in the future.

 _'Sure hope this alliance works out. Otherwise, I'm worried for sis and Archer.'_

* * *

"So, how do you like your new name?"

Walking about the castle together with his homunculus friend now named Sieg, Astolfo poised the question that was on his mind since last night.

"It's alright I suppose." Sieg replied.

"Hey now, you should react with a little more oomph don't you know~?" The young paladin whined. It was somewhat troublesome talking with the homunculi thanks to the default emotionless states that all them seemed to share with one another. That said, as Caules had put it, they had enough sense of self to be, what he called, a "smartass".

The pink-haired paladin found the title to be appropriately given, though he didn't actually understand what the word meant though he felt he understood what it was supposed to mean.

"My apologies, I suppose that it's just the way I am." The former stated in response.

Honestly though, Sieg couldn't understand why Rider was always bothering him and the other homunculi with his endeavors throughout the castle. He couldn't understand why a Heroic Spirit would bother wasting his time with them. They, who were created to be nothing more than to be instruments and tools to be used by their creators. If he wanted companionship, he could easily go to his fellow Servants or the other Masters. He believed that they would provide better company to the pink-haired youth.

Speaking of which, Sieg couldn't tell whether or not the young paladin was male or female. To have such androgyny... If he were told that Rider was a homunculus, he would have believed it easily. That was the only one could explain his appearance.

"Ah, so here you were."

Turning around to look at the source of the voice, both saw Caster of Black approaching them.

"Oh, it's you Caster." Astolfo greeted before giving off a quizzical look towards the woman. "Say, have you ever considered pulling down your hood? That thing must get really uncomfortable since you always have it on~"

"Hehehe~" The Servant of Magic merely giggled at this as she smiled at the young paladin. "I assure you it's not, and I prefer it this way. I suppose that it helps remind of me who I was and what I desire from the Holy Grail."

"Uwah~! The way you said that just now sounded a little dark...!" Astolfo couldn't help bu feel a sinister aura come from his ally.

"Oh, do I scare you~?" She continued to giggle. He supposed that the feeling he got was due to her being a mage. Those who practiced magic were often grouped together evil and other such nonsense. Personally, he believed that Caster was a good person. Certainly, she may have made some mistakes in the past. But what was important was what she chose to do _now_ rather than what she did before. And she's been quite helpful to their cause, and she was nice to talk to for the most part.

"So then, were you looking for us?" The young paladin asked.

"Indeed. I heard from one of the servant that a certain someone was with you."

"Oh! So you were looking for Sieg then!"

"Sieg?"

"It's his new name!" The pink-haired male stated as he laid an arm over said person's shoulders. "Don't you think it's nice? I've It's so much more easier giving them names than just calling them homunculus or something."

"I suppose so." Caster nodded. True, with so many of the homunculi looking alike, it was hard to tell who was who at some points and names would lessen that problem. Why Gordes decided to name only a few them was beyond her, but perhaps it was because he felt that the exceptional ones were the few who deserved to be named.

Still, she was amused by the fact that Rider had gone out of his way to try naming them himself. Such a friendly character he was.

"At any rate, I need him to accompany me for a task that I need fulfilled." Caster revealed.

"Really? What is it?"

"An experiment." The hooded-woman replied. "One that may prove useful to us in the coming days."

"It's nothing dangerous is it?" Astolfo inquired as he began frowning. "If it is, then I won't allow it!"

"If it was going to be dangerous, I wouldn't proceed with it." Caster calmly assured her ally. "You've grown quite fond of these homunculi haven't you?"

"Of course! It matters not how they were born, but the fact that they're living right here and now!" The young paladin stated in response. "On my good name as a Heroic Spirit, I won't allow anyone to harm them. They'll have to go through me first."

Caster blinked at this in surprise, taken aback by the serious look that Rider was giving her. This was the first time she had seen such a look on him.

"I assure you. Should the procedure show chances of failing, then I will stop it immediately." She lied. While Caster had become fond of the young paladin, she had been tasked with something that could help ensure their success in the future. As such, she couldn't allow anything to get in the way of that.

"If you wish, you may even come along and observe."

Crossing both arms, the pink-haired warrior began to think. A short moment later, he had his answer.

"Alright~! That sounds reasonable~!"

"Come along then." Caster motioned as the two followed.

* * *

Out on the balcony of the hotel suite where they stayed, Jeanne decided to admire the view for now while she had the chance.

"No matter how much time passes, some things really don't change do they?" She muttered to herself as she smiled.

Though the building she was standing on was much taller, it still reminded of her of the times when she stood atop a high point in an area and just decided to take in the view. Just like back then, the sky was beautiful to look at, the land almost stretching far out into the horizon.

Since the meeting wouldn't be held until tomorrow night, she had a day off today as she knew that with what was coming, she doubted that there would be any conflicts between the two factions. And the man known as Shirou Kotomine would most likely try to stay hidden now that she about him.

 _'That person... just what is he really after?'_ She thought. _'Is it truly to save the world? If so, how would he go about it?'_

If she were to be honest with herself, Jeanne felt that perhaps her enemy wasn't someone who should be considered an enemy at all. If his goals were benevolent, then surely he was a good person at heart? She would need to confront him herself in order to get a clearer picture of things. Ayaka's information may have been useful, but it was better to hear everything from the source itself. There was a chance she had merely misinterpreted what she heard.

 _'Perhaps I can convince this person to stand down...?'_

"Contemplating about what to do with our enemy?" A voice called out as Arthur appeared walking up to her.

"How did you know?" She asked as he leaned against the railing where she stood.

"I'm good at guessing I suppose." He replied with a smile. "So then, care to enlighten me to what your troubles are this time Master?"

"I'm just wondering about the future, about this man called Shirou Kotomine."

"Saving the world huh...?" Arthur looked up at the sky. "As naive as it sounds, I have to admit that it's a goal that even I might end up supporting so long as the means to do so are something I could tolerate."

"Do you think we could perhaps convince this person to stand down?" She asked. "In spite of everything, I believe that there could be a chance for him to surrender. I mean, his does have well intentions."

"Intentions we still don't know much about other than what Ayaka has told us." The young man replied. "Don't forget, he _ordered_ Lancer to assassinate you. You, the mediator of this Holy Grail War. No matter his intentions, the fact that he would do such a thing should imply what he's like. As a knight sworn to protect you, it's not something I can forgive."

"Ah, I suppose you're right." The young saint nodded in agreement, smiling at Arthur's protectiveness of her. "Since we have the time, I'd like to ask you something about the Holy Grail War you fought in."

"Eh? Saber-san fought in a grail war before?"

Looking back, both saw Ayaka standing at the entrance leading into the suite's living room. The girl had a surprised look on her face, which was to be expected considering what she had just heard.

"Ah..." Jeanne could only cover her mouth in response. Perhaps it would've been better for to have ask Arthur somewhere private? She looked at the young man who was smiling slightly, which she knew was directed at her blunder. At this, she pouted at him in response.

 _"Don't you say anything."_

 _"Yes, yes."_ She heard him telepathically chuckled.

"Ah, I didn't mean to interrupt you two if you were discussing something important." Ayaka said, noticing the looks on both of their faces. "I'll leave you both to-"

"Wait," Arthur called out as the glasses-wearing blonde stopped in her tracks. "You can stay. Our discussion just now isn't really something of importance. Perhaps you would like to join us?"

"Is it really okay?" She saw him nod. At this, she went over to the duo and leaned on the railing opposite of Jeanne on the other side of Arthur. The young saint wondered what the young man was doing allowing Ayaka to join them in discussing the former's past. It just seemed so sudden.

"So... Saber-san fought in a grail war before?" Ayaka began. "But how can you remember it? I heard before that Servants shouldn't be able to remember anything at all from a past summoning."

"I will not bother you with all the details, just know that I'm someone with special circumstances." Arthur replied looking at the girl. "Also, the one I fought in was over sixty years ago in your time to be exact. I believe one of your ancestors participated in it as well."

"My ancestors?" She stated in wonder. "Ah, now that I remember it, Uncle did tell me once that his grandfather fought in it himself before. I think it was the same one where grandma's older sister fought too."

"Older Sister?" The young man quickly noted the term as the blonde haired teen blinked in surprise.

"Eh? Ah, yes. My grandmother told me stories about the Holy Grail War before, about how her older sister fought in it herself." Ayaka revealed. "She said that they were winning, but in the end, they ended up losing their lives."

"I see... I feel sorry for your grandmother's lost." Arthur said, and Jeanne noticed the somewhat perturbed look on her partner's face.

 _"Arthur, what's wrong...?"_ The young saint telepathically asked.

 _"It's nothing. I was just confirming something is all."_

 _"Don't lie to me. You have that same look on you face whenever you feel troubled."_ Jeanne quickly retorted, giving an annoyed look towards the young man who noticed and flinched. _"Be honest and just tell me what's going-"_

Jeanne then paused briefly as her mind began putting together the things said between Arthur and Ayaka, along with the conversation she had with the former just last night. It quickly became clear to her just what exactly the young man was thinking about.

 _"Wait, don't tell me this has something to do with your former Master?"_

 _"Of the sort. Manaka had a little sister who was also named Ayaka."_ Arthur revealed as Jeanne widened her eyes. _"The Ayaka that's with us right now actually resembles both sisters rather greatly. It cannot be a coincidence that I ran into someone who looks so much like the two of them."_

 _"Really? But what would that-"_

"Wait a minute you two."

Ayaka's voice called out as the other two blondes looked at her and saw that she an annoyed look on her face. Her glasses were shining somewhat thanks to the light that reflected of them, giving the image a bespectacled terror about unleash her wrath upon them.

"Don't tell me you guys are communicating through telepathy?" Both flinched in response. "I knew it. That's a little rude when there's another person here you know..."

"Ahaha, my apologies." Arthur was the first to respond, both hands raised in an apologetic manner.

"Yes, that was quite rude of us." Jeanne bowed her head.

"Geez..." Ayaka muttered annoyed. The former was the one who invited her to join the two of them in the first place. And then they have a telepathic communication with each other? Well, at least both Saber and Ruler apologized for their unintentional rudeness. Unlike a certain other someone...

"Speaking of which, where's Lancer...?" The young saint asked.

"Ah, that idiot said he'd be down below in the bar." The girl replied. "Knowing him, he's probably drinking already. Geez, and it's still so early in the morning too."

* * *

"Achoo!"

Down below in the hotel bar, Lancer felt a sneeze coming on as he made sure to direct it away from anybody close to him. Such a thing caused those within the bar to look at him in wonder for a good few moments before returning to their own respective businesses.

"Damn, fumes must be getting to me or something."

He muttered that to himself as he continued to drink from the glass of wine in his hands. Since they had a free day today, the blue-haired spearsman decided to spend it lounging about at the bar. With something nice to drink and a good atmosphere, this was the perfect place for him to relax on his own.

"Missy! Another round please!"

* * *

"So then, have our Masters sent any word yet?"

Seated atop a stone pillar, Atalanta poised her question to the white-haired Servant who had been standing down below and leaning against said pillar with his both his arms crossed and eyes closed. Currently, the two were waiting for their next set of instructions at the ruins of an old building from the middle ages.

Normally preferring to be quiet due to his inability to learn _tact_ as someone once told him long ago, Karna decided to answer anyway. Though he decided to tread lightly as to avoid irritating the golden-haired Archer above him with his words.

"None that I know of. Feeling bored are you?"

"Perhaps." The Chaste Huntress shrugged, staring blankly into the sky as she spoke.

Karna could understand Archer's feelings. He too was feeling the same as he was a warrior. As such, part of him desire to partake in a battle. Though unlike Archer, he was able to satisfy himself with the duel he had with his fellow Lancer Cu Chulainn. Said person was the first to truly injure him since his summoning. Even now, though the wound had closed itself he could still feel pain coming from it.

Gae Bolg was a cursed spear that would leave wounds that could not be healed, so perhaps it was to be expected. In order for it heal properly, the white-haired Servant believed that he would need to destroy the weapon itself. That said, he didn't allow the injury to affect him much.

"You should go hunting." He then suggested to his ally. "That was one of your habits in the past was it not? It's in your title after all."

"And what purpose would that serve? We are Servants after all. The thrill of the hunt disappears when you're far superior to your prey." She replied before her ears suddenly perked up like an animals. "Oh, it looks like someone's arriving."

Said person walked out slowly from the woods, wearing a black cloak and a strange white mask. Both Servants present immediately recognized him as Rider. Narrowing her eyes, Archer spoke as he walked closer towards them.

"It's only you? What do you want, child of Zeus?"

"Truly it seems that you have a desire of announcing my ancestry so casually everytime we speak, don't you Archer?" Rider chuckled slightly as he laid a hand on his mask and removed it, revealing a rather handsome young man with light green eyes bordering on yellow and dark-purple colored hair.

"You'll forgive me for thinking that you may perhaps be a philandering fool like your father Perseus." Atalanta replied, maintaining a distasteful look on her face. "Though considering your history, I suppose I shouldn't judge you as someone you're clearly not."

Perseus, the slayer of the monster known as Medusa. Considered to be one of the few heroes in Greek Mythology what many would consider a happy ending.

"I would appreciate that. The only woman for me would be Andromeda, and I intend to keep it that way." He smiled in response, before a glint of mischief appeared in his eyes as he looked up directly at Archer.

"Also, I can see up your skirt from down here."

Said statement resulted in an arrow narrowly missing Perseus' head as the Chaste Huntress then proceeded to land on the earth below. Quickly standing up right, she aimed her bow at him all the while glaring at the purple-haired Servant.

"Why you insolent little...!"

"That's enough Archer, he's only trying to get a reaction out of you." Karna stated, opening an eye and directing it towards Perseus. "So then, why did you come here?"

"Orders to return from Miss Angelica." The latter replied as the other two reacted in surprise. "She says that we are to strike at our enemies soon, and that we should begin preparations at the garden."

"Is that so?" The white-haired demigod stated, wondering to himself why their Master couldn't just tell them that himself through their telepathic link. He thought that it was perhaps due to him being busy. Considering what Rider had just stated, he believed it to be so.

"Why is it that our Master had to go through with all this sneaking about in the first place?" Atalanta couldn't help but voice out. "With our combined strength, surely we could've easily taken on any who stood in our way."

"Our Master prefers to win his battles without having fought in them." Karna replied as he began musing to himself. "Perhaps he desired to have the Red Faction and Black Faction whittle each other's strengths down first, which would then allow us to step in and claim victory over both. It would be the most logical conclusion I can come to."

"I see." The grass-haired archer nodded in response, agreeing with Lancer's statement.

"Alright then, shall we get going?"

With that, the three Servants quickly left the area.

* * *

Soon time quickly passed and the following day came.

Later that evening, Jeanne, Arthur, and Ayaka stood right in front of the Yggdmillennia castle gate.

Or what was left of it anyway. After the resulting clash between Mordred and Siegfried's respective Noble Phantasms, it was mostly rubble at this point. That said, repairs were already underway as seen with the appearance of several homunculi and golems. Though there were still signs of battle that littered the area where they stood.

Speaking of which, Lancer himself was in spirit mode for the time being at the request of Jeanne. She felt that it would be better for Lancer to remain unseen until the meeting itself. Though he had his reservations, the blue-haired spearsman agreed and went along with the young saint.

"Hauuh..."

"Nervous?" Jeanne asked, noticing the glasses-wearing blonde looking somewhat pale.

"Do you even need to ask me that?" Ayaka muttered in reply as the young saint merely smiled in response, understanding what the girl was going through.

After their talk out on the balcony, Arthur decided to drop the topic about the possibility of Ayaka being related to his former Master for now as they bigger concerns such as the upcoming alliance meeting.

Jeanne agreed with his decision, but the young saint couldn't help sigh at the idea of being suspicious of their new found ally. Though logical to assume, she found it to be unhealthy to be always be suspicious of those around you.

"I see you that you've arrived, Ruler."

Looking ahead, the blonde saw a young man with black hair wearing what appeared to be a Japanese school uniform? She was slightly perturbed by the cold look he gave off, but quickly shrugged it off as she spoke.

"You're the Master of Assassin, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am." He replied, bowing slightly in respect. "Julian Ainsworth, at your service. I've been tasked by Lord Darnic in leading you to the location where the meeting is to take place tonight."

"I see then." Jeanne nodded in response. "Please lead the way."

"I shall. But first," Julian began as he gazed at Ayaka. "That girl. Who is she? I was expecting only for you and your Servant to arrive here tonight."

Said glasses-wearing blonde froze up when she saw the cold gaze the teen directed at her. Something about him just didn't sit well with her.

"Please don't mind her. She's part of my entourage." Jeanne replied. "I trust that her presence will not prove to be troublesome?"

The blonde felt the young man's gaze grow intense for a good few moments before he decided to relent, turning around as he spoke.

"Alright then, my task for tonight is to merely guide you to the meeting point. Who you bring along doesn't really concern me I suppose." He stated as he began walking with the trio soon following after him.

 _'So that girl is going to be attending as well? It looks like Kotomine's instincts were right.'_

* * *

Nearing the location of the meeting, Julian soon left once he was sure that the group knew where they would be going, saying that he had important business to take care of.

"Oh? It's about time you arrived Ruler!"

Entering the same room where she first met Lancer of Black and his Master, Jeanne and the other came across the sight of the members of both Red Faction and Black Faction seated apart from each other across a large table, with Rider of Red greeting the young saint with enthusiasm in his voice.

Said person happen to wearing a simple blue pants and a white t-shirt that had what appeared to be a world map imprinted on it along with words Admirable Tactics III. Such an appearance could cause slight bewilderment in those who weren't in the Red Faction. Was Rider seriously going to attend the meeting dressed like that? Every other Servant in the room wore their usual regalia in battle.

"Greetings to everyone." Jeanne began, shaking her head as she remembered her current situation. "I apologize if we kept everyone waiting."

"Not at all, we only just assembled a short while ago." The King of Conquerors replied.

"Hmph..."

Mordred immediately began to glare when saw her father enter the room. Arthur saw this and merely shook his head, having expected the reaction. Beside her, sat her Master Kairi Shishigou. Who for some reason had a look of distaste that was directed at the members of the Black Faction. Not that it was any surprising itself considering that up until this point, both factions were enemies.

The others who were in the room included Archer of Red and his Master who was a blonde haired little girl. The former was smirking as he saw their group enter. Arthur couldn't help but frown at him as result. After those two were Lancer of Red and his Master, the girl who bore a striking resemblance to Mordred. Arthur wondered why that was, but decided it was a topic for another time.

On the side of the Black Faction was Darnic and Lancer of Black. A young brunette girl sat beside Archer of Black, with Jeanne quickly identifying her as Fiore Forvedge, the same person who had set up the meeting in the first place. Continuing where she left off, the others left were Saber of Black and his Master, Berserker of Black and her Master, and a woman with a rather sharp look to her who looked rather annoyed for some reason.

"Uwah... so many people." Ayaka muttered. Someone just shoot her now!

"I see, so that's the girl whom Archer was talking about." Waver spoke out as everyone looked at him.

"El-Melloi, you know her or something?" Kairi asked.

"Of the sort. After all, I'm sponsoring one of her cousins."

"Eh? Sponsoring? Wait, you don't mean Rin do you mister...?" The glasses-wearing blonde asked in surprise.

"Call me Lord El-Melloi II. Tohsaka Ayaka, your cousin is going to be one of my future students." Waver replied.

At this, Ayaka quickly realized that the long-haired man was the same person Rin had talked to her about whenever she would talk about the Clock Tower. With someone with his status sponsoring her, Rin believed that her future was already partially going to be a successful one once she graduated high-school. A fact that she would like to repeat more than once.

"U-Uh...! It's a pleasure to meet you Lord El-Melloi!"

"It's El-Melloi II." Waver muttered in annoyance. It was incredibly grating to hear the name spoken without _**II**_ being included in it. It made him feel like his old professor was still around and haunting him as a result. He didn't need that hanging over his head, not with all the work he's done in the past few years.

"Did you say Tohsaka?" Darnic stated in a subdued tone. He hadn't expected a member of that family to appear here out of all places. Last he heard they had given up on the Holy Grail themselves and began seeking other ways in reaching the Root.

"Yes, she's indeed a Tohsaka." Waver stated in response to hearing Darnic's words before turning his gaze back towards the young teen.

"Perhaps he and I share the same question. Why is a member of the Tohsaka here? With a Holy Grail War going on, it cannot be a coincidence."

"Uh... I suppose you could say that."

"In the first place, perhaps you should have that Servant behind your materialize first. You cannot fool me young lady." Vlad revealed, causing the others to quickly react in alert as they stared at the young teen all at once. Who herself flinched at the sudden attention being directed at her.

"Please calm down, this girl is our ally." Jeanne reassured, looking at Ayaka. "Have Lancer materialize."

Nodding at this, the glasses-wearing blonde telepathically called out to Lancer.

Soon, the blue-haired spearsman appeared leaning against the wall. Arms crossed with a smirk on his face, he raised on arm and waved.

"Yo! Quite a gathering you people have here." He greeted.

"A Lancer-Class Servant?" Gordes muttered in bewilderment. "Just how on earth do you have control over a Servant girl?"

"That's what were about to discuss." Jeanne replied before noticing something off. "Wait, are some of your members not going to attend this meeting?"

"Julian, Rider, and Caster are working as our security force for now. They'll be the ones to keep an eye out for any potential threats or strange events occurring." Darnic replied. Obviously though, he was lying. Only Julian was working as their security force together with the Assassins.

Currently, Caster was working on the pet project they began the other day with Roche working alongside her. Rider decided to watch over both of them in case of something happening during the process. That, and there was the fact that the young paladin was rather attached to the homunculus he had named Sieg.

"I see. And what of the other Red Masters and Servants?"

"The Masters of both Caster and Berserker already withdrew some time ago." Waver revealed, surprising the members of the Black Faction and Jeanne's group. "They transferred their command spells to the Master of Assassin long before we even knew of about it."

"Assassin' of Red's Master... it's the man known as Shirou Kotomine isn't it?" Jeanne asked.

The former nodded at this. "Indeed, Archer has already told us everything about what you told him. Though it wasn't easy getting out of him that is."

Jeanne looked at the Golden King who merely smirked at her after noticing her gaze.

"Kotomine? I remember that name being associated with the former mediator of the Grail War sixty years ago back in Japan." Darnic stated with a curious look. "Is it a child of his or a relative that participates this time?"

"From what I know, he was adopted." Waver replied. "At any rate, he's also going to be part of the reason why I believe this alliance is going to be a necessary one."

"And why is that?" Fiore asked. She was honestly curious to hear more on why Lord El-Melloi II had agreed to her request other than the fact that he also believed the rogue Servants to be a threat to the Holy Grail War.

"I believe Ruler will be able to fill you in on everything." The long-haired man stated as he gestured to the young saint.

With that, all eyes returned their gazes to Jeanne. The blonde took a moment to breath before speaking

"As you all no doubt have suspected yourselves by this point, the rogue Servants have someone leading them behind the shadows. That person is none other than Shirou Kotomine." She revealed, the Black Faction members widening their eyes somewhat in shock at this piece of news.

"Hmph, so a member of the Red Faction is in control of the rogue Servants?" Celenike spoke with a sneer on her face.

"And what are you implying?" Reines spoke up, narrowing her eyes at the older woman.

"What do you think?"

"What I think is that you are a vain old woman considering your appearance and one who poses rather ridiculous statements. Does that satisfy your question?" Reines asked with smile, the gray-haired woman glaring viciously at the young blonde. Archer gave off an entertained smirked at his young Master's successful goading of the latter.

"Enough!" Vlad stated, demanded to be precise, as both quickly froze up. "We are here to have talks, not to trade barbs at one another. Ruler, please continue."

Nodding at this, Jeanne continued to speak.

"Now, to help further our understanding of this person, I have brought someone along with me who can help us with just that."

"The Tohsaka girl?" Darnic asked, gazing at the glasses-wearing blonde. "Well then child, speak to us what you know."

"U-Uh right!" Ayaka stuttered as she stepped forward.

Taking a deep breath to herself, she only had one thought going through her mind just before she spoke.

 _'Well, here goes nothing...!'_

* * *

Much like how she did so with Jeanne, Ayaka began to explain everything she knew about their enemies. To say that the other Masters were shock would be an understatement. Cards that could summon Servants and help sustain them on their own without the aid of a grail? Such things would have been preposterous for them to consider had it not been for the fact that they had no other information to go on.

Darnic could only narrow his eyes though. Not at the Tohsaka girl, but at what she said about the items she called Class-Cards. It reminded him of something from long ago, but he could not remember where.

"Now that we've covered that topic, I believe that it's time to move on to our main topic for tonight." Jeanne spoke up as all looked towards her.

"Through his Servants, he has twice attempted to assassinate me. That alone should prove more than enough reason to for me to consider him an enemy to both myself and to the order of the Holy Grail War. What Miss Tohsaka has revealed about him helps to support my views. As such, I can no longer remain on the side as he continues his machinations in the shadows. He and his group will prove to be dangerous adversaries if taken lightly."

"So I declare this. Both Red and Black, your Factions are too cease hostilities with each other at this moment in order to deal with a bigger threat. I ask, will you all decide to stand together? Or will you refuse?"

No one immediately answered her question, the Masters and Servants of each group silently contemplating the young saint's words and everything that had been revealed to them so far.

"Very well then, you have my support Ruler." The first to speak up was none other than Vlad himself. "As you said, they are a foe that cannot be treated lightly. With our combined might however, we can surely crush them where they stand."

"And you can count on my support as well!" Rider of Red declared with a smile. "Teaming up with so many people like this is quite a rare opportunity!"

Soon after their respective Servants voiced their stance on the matter, Waver and Darnic added their piece as well.

"Considering that Kotomine was one of ours, I feel responsible for him. From this moment on, myself and the others are your temporary allies Darnic Prestone." The former stated as the latter smiled.

"Hmph, very well then. Considering that Lancer has accepted, I suppose there can be no harm in a temporary team up such as this."

Such words coming from her grandfather caused a smile of relief to form Fiore's face. She was half-expecting him to refuse, but thankfully he saw enough reason thanks to both Ruler and the Tohsaka girl.

Seeing the events unfold, Gilgamesh had no nothing to say at the moment. After all, he already made it clear to Reines and the others the other day that he would not interfere with whatever Assassin and her Master had in store due to wishing to observe it for now.

That said, he only declared non-interference towards Assassin and her Master, not their allies. Considering what he had heard about them just now, he was truly interested in seeing how well they would fare against him or the other Servants in the room.

"Well... this is going to be a thing."

Those were the only words Kairi had to offer. He was still against the idea of working together with the Black Faction, but saw that it was a pragmatic choice in order to deal with the outsiders who were interfering with the Holy Grail War.

Looking beside him, he saw Mordred glaring continuously at her father. He sighed at this, she really hated her old man didn't she? Considering her temper, he found it a miracle that she hadn't attacked him throughout the discussion. Now they were all going to work together with Ruler and her group to take down Kotomine. He was wondering to himself what her thoughts on the matter were, but he was too much of a chicken to ask given the look on her face.

"Alright then, now with that out of the way, I suppose it's time for us Heroic Spirits to have a talk among ourselves. And the perfect way to do that is through wine!"

Like a stage magician performing a trick, Rider pulled out a large barrel from out of nowhere.

"Wait, where the hell did you get that?!"

"Hmm? From the wine cellar below." The King of Conquerors casually revealed as everyone stared at him in bewilderment, most especially the members of the Black Faction who were all wondering just how in the world did he do that without any of them noticing?

"Hah! I like this guy already." Lancer said, the blue-haired spearsman smirking at the King of Conquerors.

"Now then, I saw a pretty garden last time we were here. That would be a most appropriate spot for us to drink no?"

"Oh~! What's this about drinking~!?"

Astolfo appeared at the last moment, a smile on his face that was filled with wonder.

"What the? Rider? I thought you were busy with something else?" Caules wondered aloud.

"I'm already finished with that." The young paladin replied. "What's this I hear about drinking~?"

* * *

Smashing the barrel open with his fist, Iskander poured some wine into a cup provided for him by one of the many homunculi Servants. Taking a sip, he sighed in delight as he faced his fellow Servants who were all seated in a circle together as he began passing a drinks to all who were present.

The first of which being Arthur himself. Taking it with a smile, he drank.

"This is kinda surreal, isn't it?" Caules couldn't help but mutter. Seeing the sight of Heroic Spirits from different time periods seated together sharing drinks... he could find that there were no other words that could help describe it.

Speaking of which, he and the other Masters stood on the side watching the events unfold. He saw that almost everyone had a similar look to his own. That is, everyone except Lord El-Melloi II. He had the look of exasperation instead, like he was expecting something like this to happen.

"What? You expect us to drink this?"

Gilgamesh spoke up after having sampled the wine himself, a frown growing on his face.

"What, you don't like it?" Iskander asked.

"Fool, heroes such as ourselves can only drink the finest that there is. As such..."

Stretching out his hand, a golden light appeared beneath it as a golden container appeared beneath it and neatly landed itself onto the floor below.

"Allow me to rectify your mistake."

"Wait, that isn't the same stuff you took out the other day is it? I can still feel the headache from back then." Achilles questioned. As open as he was for a drink like any other man, there was somethings that even he wouldn't take again.

"Hah! I merely brought that out to see how long you would all last with but a taste." Archer smirked in response as he passed on several goblets to the others. "Clearly you lot were unprepared for a divine drink of that level. Thus, I believe something else should suffice."

"So you were messing with us? Ass..." The green-haired warrior muttered in annoyance.

"Maybe you idiots shouldn't have accepted it in the first place?" Mordred offhandedly commented with a smirk of her own.

Simultaneously, the group of Servants looked at one another and nodded, which at that point they each took a sip of their of wine provided by the Golden King. Just as quickly as they did however, they all widened their eyes in shock.

"Oh~! This is so good~!" Breaking the silence, Astolfo cried out in delight. In his lifetime of adventuring, this was the first time he had tasted something so delightful!

"Why didn't something like this exist when I was alive? So unfair~" Elizabeth sighed.

"Hahaha! That's it, praise the King for his kindness! You have all received a once in a lifetime opportunity to sample of one of his treasures." Gilgamesh declared with a haughty smile after seeing the groups various reactions.

Even Vlad had to admit that Archer had one fine delicacy with him, but together with both Siegfried and Chiron, they kept it to themselves. Iskander, Achilles, and Cu Chulainn on the other hand continued to drink up, savoring the taste.

Mordred herself didn't know how to react. Just how in the world did something like even exist in the first place? And just how in the world did Archer get his hands on it? The same question ran through Arthur's mind, but his was forgotten when he noticed that Jeanne had yet to drink from hers.

"Is something the matter?"

"Eh? Ah, no. There's nothing wrong. It's just..."

Since she was possessing Laeticia, Jeanne didn't know whether or not she should accept as the former was still underage. In her time, drinking such delicacies was common. But in modern times, there was now a limit to when a person can do so depending on the location.

"What's the matter? Is it because you have yet to taste delicacy's such as wine?" Gilgamesh smirked and then laughed in amusement. "Perhaps I should be calling you a little girl instead of Saber. She at least has enough steel within her to sample my treasure."

"Reference me like that again and I'll hit you." Mordred stated with a glare, one that the former ignored.

"Well then Ruler, will you drink? Or will you sit there and gawk like a fool while the rest of your fellows have done so themselves?"

Unamused by the Golden King's words, Jeanne's eyes narrowed and decided that she would to prove him wrong. She then put the goblet to her mouth and drank, an delightful sensation quickly overwhelming her mind.

"Oh my, this is...!" She blinked. That was the only thing she could do as she was speechless at how good it tasted.

"Wise choice. Had you refused, I might have been insulted." Gilgamesh declared before giving off a knowing smirk. "Whether or not you have special circumstances, I expect you to accept the kindness that the King gives you."

Jeanne's eyes widened in shock. Special circumstances? Did that mean that he knew about her and Laeticia? But how?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Arthur calling out to Rider of Red.

"Now then Rider, I suspect that the reason you brought us all out here isn't just because you wanted a drink." He stated, to which the Servants directed curious looks at the King of Conquerors, who himself began smirking as he saw their gazes laid upon him.

"Indeed it isn't King of Knights." Rider began, making sure to gather everyone's attention, their Masters included. "As you all know, the Holy Grail is fated to end up in the hands of the one most worthy of it. Our conflict in Trifas to determine who that person will be."

Everyone nodded at this, though both Jeanne and Arthur didn't really know where he was going with this since they weren't fighting for the Holy Grail themselves.

"However, if it's only about deciding which of us is more worthy, then bloodshed isn't the only means that we can do it through now is it?" The red-haired man stated as he began smiling. "If we the Heroic Spirits are able to acknowledge the others' ranks then the matter should settle itself."

"In other words, you wish to hear why we desire the grail for each of ourselves, and then compare each with one another to decide who is most worthy of all." Vlad spoke up with his arms crossed. "Foolishness. Our wishes can never be greater nor smaller compared to one another. To each of us, it holds great value, enough so that we pit ourselves against each other in a battle to the death."

"I agree with Lancer." Gilgamesh added, playing with his goblet. "What are you playing at Rider?"

"Nothing at all." The large man replied. "Considering that we are all Heroic Spirits, with four of us having been sovereign rulers in the past, it was only inevitable that we have this talk among ourselves. And how much we value our wishes would matter little if the other's own wish has is greater in scope. There's also a chance that one of us would be able to grant the wishes of the others through granting our own."

"Then does that include us?" Arthur asked, gesturing to himself and Jeanne. "You should know that we're not actually fighting for the Grail ourselves."

"Of course I do. However, that doesn't mean you both would lack wishes does it? Even if you two cannot attain anything, I merely wish to hear what you either of you would want if you had the chance to obtain the grail for yourselves." Rider retorted with a knowing smile. "That, and I believed that it would be rude to not invite the two of you as well. So then, care to enlighten us as to what your wishes would be? How about you Ruler? If you had a wish you want granted, what would it be?"

"None at all." Jeanne replied without missing a beat. "If there's anything I would desire as a person, it would be that the Holy Grail War be conducted properly and without civilian casualties."

"As expected of a pure and honest saint, perhaps I shouldn't have bothered asking." Iskander chuckled briefly as he saw the resolute gaze the blonde had in her eyes. That meant that she was completely serious about what she had just said.

"Now then, who's going to go next?" He began before remembering the blonde-haired archer next to him. "Oh, what about you Archer? What's your wish? Why do you fight for the grail?"

"Fool, as if I would fight for something that's already mine to begin with." He stated as he took a sip from his goblet. Noticing the confused looks on everyone's faces, he decided to clarify. "In the first place, the origins of every single treasure of this world can be traced back to my treasury."

"So what? Are you saying you once had the Grail yourself?" Iskander asked with a smile. "Then that means you'd know exactly what it is?"

"No." The Golden King stated much to their surprise. "Do you think I would remember every single artifact that's been stored within my treasury? Don't be so foolish. The important fact is that it's a priceless treasure, so obviously it must've been one of mine. As such, those who would try to take it without my permission shall be severely punished. Such is the law of the King."

"Hah, it looks like Berserkers aren't the only ones who have gone mad in life."

Mordred scoffed, causing Gilgamesh to glare at his fellow Red Servant. Obviously, the comment was payback for earlier.

"Hey! I resent that!"

Elizabeth exclaimed in annoyance, pointing a finger at the former. Vlad laid a hand on his allies shoulder in order to calm her down. The former did so, but not before giving Mordred the stink eye which the red knight simply ignored while smirking.

"Well technically speaking, you were kinda not all there when you were alive..."

Caules muttered quietly to himself lest Berserker hear him. Considering her history, he wasn't surprised that Elizabeth Bathory qualified for the Berserker-Class in the first place. Bathing in the blood of others wasn't exactly a sane thing to do...

"Hahaha! Let's all try to get along." Iskander began as he took another sip from his goblet. "Besides, I think I have an idea of who Goldie here is. So his words may have a ring of truth to them. So then Archer, all we have to do is ask for your permission in order to obtain the grail then?"

"Obviously." The Golden King replied as he gazed upon the others with a smirk on his face. "Should you any of you impress me with your prowess in battle and as individuals, I may consider bestowing the grail as gift to one of you. And should any of you submit yourselves to me, then the higher your chances are going to be."

"Hahaha! That would be impossible!" The red-haired Servant laughed. "As the King of Conquerors, I was planning on taking grail whether or not you approved. I really want it for myself you see. And that treasury of yours too since it's filled with wonders such as this wine we're drinking!"

"Hah, you may very well try Rider." Gilgamesh smirked. "I do not mind lending you the grail itself. However, taking my other treasures however shall result in you receiving judgement at my hands. You have been warned."

"Such carefree individuals..."

Arthur commented at the sight of the two Kings. Though he supposed he wasn't one to judge them.

Taking a sip from his goblet, Vlad decided to voice his thoughts. "A strange man you are, Archer. To allow a treasure such as the grail to fall onto anyone's hands because you believe that they may perhaps be worthy of it."

"Pray tell what's your wish Lancer? Is it something that's worthy of the grail?" The former asked, turning his attention from the King of Conquerors to the Lord Impaler.

"To erase the stain on my reputation. Nothing more, nothing less." Vlad replied.

"What? That's it?" The King of Conquerors asked.

"Its importance to me is of the highest order, and in doing so, I shall prevent that horrid piece of literature that has somehow become synonymous with my name from ever being created!"

With every word spoken, Vlad continuously tightened his grip on the goblet in his hand. It even began to dent due to the sheer strength the former had. The two Kings wondered to themselves just what in the world he was referring to that could cause such a reaction in the former.

"Oh, he must be talking about Drac-" Fiore began.

"Shh! He might hear you!" Caules quickly cut his sister off. Mentioning Dracula whenever Lancer was around had already been considered taboo by the others in the Black Faction. Apparently his sister didn't get the memo.

"Other than that Lancer, don't you have anything else you desire?" Arthur asked.

"None, I've lived a full life. Though I have made many mistakes in the past, I will not use the grail for something so childish as to erase them." He replied, his voice filled with resolution. "I will carry those mistakes with me, through both life and death, and onto the next life that God shall assign me to. Before that, I merely wish to restore my reputation to its proper name."

"I see..."

The white knight nodded slowly at this. That was quite different from him.

"Hehe, spoken like a true man." Cu Chulainn commented. "Staying true to your beliefs and principles is the only way to live."

"Live like a hero and die like a hero right?" Achilles added with a smirk, glancing at the blue-haired spearsman. "You remind me a little of myself. We should spar some time."

"Oh! Now that sounds like a real way to pass the time!" With that, both clanked their goblets together and continued to drink. Chiron smiled at this, amused by how his former student was getting along with someone with similar interests to his own.

"Hmph, your words would normally earn a bit of my respect, but your faith in your so called god prevents it so." Gilgamesh remarked with a snide look on his face. "Only fools without the ability to live on their own would put their trust in something so ridiculous."

"Do you wish to challenge me Archer?!" Vlad demanded as he pulled out his spear, indignation at the direct insult to his Lord.

"W-Wait!" Jeanne quickly interrupted. "Please do not fight here! Otherwise, our meeting earlier would have been for nothing!"

Seeing that the young saint had a point, Vlad relented and sat back down, settling for glaring at the Golden King who looked rather amused by his reaction. Elizabeth then offered the former another goblet, to which he took it and continued to drink.

"Come on Goldie, try to be nice at least." Iskander chided his fellow Red Servant. "So then, does anybody else want to share their thoughts?"

"I do."

Turning to the source of the voice, all looked to see Mordred with an unusually calm look on her face. Arthur wondered what she was going to say. Due to their history together, he had an idea of what it was.

How wrong he was.

"My wish for the grail is..." She paused for a moment, looking towards her father before continuing. "My goal is to challenge the Sword in the Stone!"

That statement alone was enough for the white knight to widen his eyes in disbelief.

 _'Even now, after all this time, she still wants to become a King...?'_

"Sword in the Stone? Hey King of Knights, isn't that the same one that got you started on your own path towards becoming a King?" The red-haired Servant asked.

"Yes it was."

"Hmm, interesting." The former stated with a hand under his chin. "So in other words Saber, you want to succeed your father?"

"Not just succeed!" The Knight of Treachery exclaimed. "I will surpass my father as King! Anything he could do, I can do just as well and even better! Pulling out the Sword in the Stone would be nothing more than a triviality for me!

Following her words was a moment of silence. Of which quickly went by as laughter erupted from the Golden King.

"Such confidence is amusing to see." Gilgamesh suddenly stated, smiling at Mordred. "However, you forget something Saber. The child could never surpass the parent, they merely carry on their legacy. Something that you failed to do apparently considering that you ended up getting yourself killed by the King of Knights."

"What was that?!" Mordred quickly stood up, enraged by what the red-eyed blonde was saying.

"Hey now, no need to act so violently." The King of Conquerors quickly cut in. "Besides, we have someone that could say otherwise don't you think? Who better to judge the offspring than the parent?"

With that, Iskander turned his gaze back towards Arthur.

"What say you King of Knights?" He asked, smirking. "Do you believe that your child has the ability to surpass you?"

When Mordred saw that her father hadn't immediately replied, she took his silence as his answer. At this, she began grind her teeth as her hands curled into fists. One question ran through her mind as the silence continued.

 _'Why won't you say something...?!'_

On the other hand, Arthur himself didn't really know how to respond. With Mordred's presence, he couldn't help but just remain silent. His mind kept warping back towards that single moment, on that burning hill where the two of them had fought each other to death.

Honestly, what should he say? Mordred had turned her blade against him, betraying the oath she had sworn as one of the Knights of the Round Table. At the same time he couldn't blame her for her decision. It was his fault for allowing the hatred in her to fester. Perhaps he could have done something...

He quickly snapped out of it when felt a hand being laid upon his shoulder. The young man saw that it was Jeanne, who then communicated with him telepathically.

 _"Just be honest. Say what you want say and everything will be alright, I'll be here to stand by your side."_

Arthur briefly chuckled at this. Really now, he was being comforted and being given advice on what to do by a girl six years his junior. The white knight felt rather pathetic at that moment. But at the same time, he was grateful for her intervention as he began to speak.

"Well, if you're asking for my honest opinion... then, I would say yes."

"Eh?" Mordred mouthed, her mind going blank as she heard her father reveal his answer to the rest.

"Hoh? Care to enlighten us more about your reasoning for that?" The King of Conquerors stated while smiling.

"Her faults aside, Mordred had the heart and skill it would take for me to choose her as a proper successor. Something I still believe she has." Arthur replied once more, gazing at the red knight momentarily before continuing. "I believe that it would merely be a matter of properly preparing her for the role."

A crooked smile then formed on Arthur's face.

"Unfortunately, it never came to pass. I believe that some of you would know why that is." He said, and those who knew enough of the young man's legend had an idea of what he was referring to. "Perhaps had I reacted differently... it would have never led to that. But I suppose there's no point on dwelling on it now."

Mordred was speechless. Nothing came to her mind as her father revealed his thoughts about her. She couldn't find the ability to speak out.

Was it all true? Was it really all true? Did he really mean all that? She couldn't tell, her mind still trying to comprehend and wrap itself around everything that was said.

"Well I suppose I can understand that, it's only natural you'd feel that way." Iskander stated with a thoughtful look, looking back and forth between parent and child and studying their expressions. He noted to himself that it was good for his fellow Red Servant to hear what the King of Knights had to say.

Speaking of which, his fellow Rider-Class also smiled as he too noticed something off from the red knight. As such, being the person that the young paladin was, he spoke.

"Oh~? Saber, you're pretty happy right now aren't you~?"

Astolfo's question quickly snapped the Knight of Treachery out from her daze as face began to go red and her jaw dropping as she gazed at the pink-haired warrior with an incredulous look on her face.

"W-What...?! H-H-How did you come to that conclusion?!"

"Well you are blushing after all~"

"...!"

Half-tempted to swing away at Rider with Clarent, the Mordred opted to merely sit down. Continuing to drink from her goblet. The way she was sitting right now made her look like how a girl her age would look when presented with something that embarrassed them. Kairi could only smirk at her reaction, for it was the first time he had seen her in such a state. It was refreshing to say the least when compared to her usual bravado and temperament.

Arthur himself was just as surprised as well. He expected her say something such as not believing his words or trying to insult him. Did his words really hit a nerve for her to react like that?

Jeanne merely smiled at this, noting that Mordred really was delighted by what she just heard but could not admit to it or perhaps did not realize it herself. She could tell at least that much in regards to the Knight of Treachery. Perhaps there really was a chance of reconciliation between her and Arthur after all.

"Now then, I'd like to hear what you would desire from the grail King of Conquerors" Astolfo suddenly inquired. "I mean, don't you think it would be fair for everyone to hear what you wish from the grail considering that you started this conversation in the first place?"

"He does have a point." Elizabeth added.

"Alright then, before I do that, does anyone else want to share theirs first?" The red-haired Servant asked.

Astolfo quickly voiced out that he desired nothing from the Grail as he was completely satisfied with his life, as did Achilles, Cu Chulainn, and Siegfried, the latter of which revealed that his wish was merely to live without regrets this time around. As such, the former two quickly warmed up to him since his desires were rather basic in nature like theirs as they gave a toast to themselves.

Elizabeth revealed her desire to be an idol, at which Gilgamesh laughed at her for and called her a dreaming little girl. Strangely though, it wasn't out of spite, but mere amusement. Chiron revealed his desire to simply have the gods return the immortality granted to him, for it was something that connected him to his parents. Both the former and the young paladin believed this to be sweet.

Soon it came back to the King of Conquerors himself. Taking another sip from his goblet, an embarrassed look appeared on his face as spoke.

"True Incarnation."

"What?"

Such was the reaction of almost every single person who were in attendance, all except Waver that is. The long-haired man had shook his head as a smile grew on his face. He couldn't blame them, he reacted virtually the same way when Rider revealed it to him all those years ago.

"Rider, surely you jest with such a statement." Gilgamesh began, truly baffled by his ally's wish.

"Indeed, I simply can't believe you of all people would fight for something so small."

Vlad replied, crossing his arms as he looked at the King of Conquerors in doubt. Even Elizabeth's wish had a grand scale to it, as silly as it sounded to him that is.

"Remember who I am." The larger man declared. "I am the King of Conquerors. As the title implies, my ultimate ambition is conquest itself. And the ultimate target? Well that would be this entire world wouldn't it?"

He then gazed at one of his open hands.

"However, if I used the grail to conquer the world for me, there would be no meaning to it. Conquest is something I'll leave to myself. And though this body is indeed powerful, Servants are far more limited in the time they can spend in this world. Thus, the first step would be to become fully human once more. And in doing so, I shall conquer both life and death itself!"

Pouring himself another goblet, he took long sip before continuing.

"Continue on from there, I shall move onto the grand stage that is our world. Defying the odds and pushing through anything, that's what conquest is all about. Such is the path that I've chosen as a king."

Iskandar finished, grinning as he took in the gazes of the others.

However, among them only the reaction of a certain golden clad Servant had truly caught his attention.

"Hehehe...!"

Hearing the Golden King chuckling to himself, everyone turned to him.

"I've misjudged you Rider. Perhaps you are worthy of bearing the title of King." Gilgamesh stated with a smirk. "Few men have such dedication to their dreams and beliefs. As such, you'll be my first target after we've dealt with the lesser foes."

"Haha! Pointing that out would be redundant by now don't you think?" Iskander laughed at the notion. "We maybe allies now, but we're all destined to fight each other since none of us wish to submit to the other. Such a sad thing considering how all of you are glorious stars on the battlefield in each of your own way."

"You say that as though you already know that you'll win Rider." Vlad commented.

"Do I? Hahaha! It's probably the drink that's getting to me at this point." The large man pointed out. "Seriously Goldie, where did you get this stuff?"

"Who knows? Last I remember is that it was a gift from one of my subjects." The Golden King shrugged before turning his attention to the White Knight. "Now then, onto what I suppose shall be our last topic for tonight."

"That's right! I nearly forgot about that." Iskander began as he looked towards the King of Knights. "Saber, you have yet to say anything in regards to what your wish would be for the grail."

"I have no desire for the grail." Arthur replied.

"Such a quick response, and an obvious lie to boot." The former stated with a smirk. "You can't fool me King of Knights. Despite your oath of neutrality with Ruler, our talk from earlier tells me that you do have something that you wish from the grail. Be honest and tell us what it is, for a true King wouldn't be ashamed to reveal it."

Arthur couldn't deny that. Seeing that there was no point in trying to avoid the subject, he spoke.

"Very well then, I suppose there's no harm in saying my piece."

Jeanne was worried. She had an idea of what her partner was going to say, but kept it to herself for now. Mordred waited with baited breath to hear what he father's wish was, trying to get close as she could without him noticing the act.

Gray as well watched the white knight with keen eyes, giving away that she too was interested in what he had to say.

"What I wish for... is to bring salvation to my people. To create a utopia for all of them..."

* * *

"Such a rare event this is."

Within a room, two individuals observed the banquet with keen interest. Said two were none other than Shirou Kotomine and Assassin of Red.

"Indeed. There has never been a gathering like this in any of the past grail wars before." The former stated. "All of them have such unique wishes that they desire for themselves. Perhaps I was wrong about being able to recruit some of them to our cause."

"Well, there's still the King of Knights." Assassin suggested.

"Yes but I believe he'll also turn me down." Shirou smiled. "He's already done so once before after all."

"Hmm..." The Assyrian Queen mumbled in amusement. "Well then, shall we prepare our forces? With most of them gathered there, we can strike and take them out within a single attack if we're lucky."

"Do it."

* * *

With the revelation of Arthur desired from the grail, the Servants that were gathered found themselves in a silence. After all, the former's statement implied a rather great significant change to the world thanks to his wish.

"I thought so."

Such were the words of Iskander, the first to break said silence as he laid his goblet onto the ground.

"Say King of Knights," He began slowly, an unreadable expression on his face. "Saying you wish is like that, to give your people salvation... surely you don't mean to tell me that you wish to change the past now does it?"

"Perhaps I am." Arthur mused as he picked up his goblet and observed his reflection on it. "There are just somethings that I wish could've gone differently. It's like a curse that's constantly haunting me, one that I cannot erase."

Mordred flinched at this, wondering whether or not her father was referring to her. His words from earlier, and his words just now, were in conflict with each other, and now she didn't know what to feel. Damn it all, why did it have to be so confusing?!

"Is that so?" The red-haired Servant began. "Saber. Just to be clear, I like to ask you about something before we continue any further."

"And what would that be?"

"Do you regret ever becoming a King?"

Honestly taken back by the question, Arthur took a few moments to himself to think before coming to a conclusion. Taking into consideration everything he had experienced, the people he had met such as Merlin, the Knights who had sworn their allegiance to him, Guinevere...

If he had not chosen to take the throne, would he had met any of them? If so, what kind of lives would they have lived if that were the case?

Shaking his head, he smiled somewhat as he revealed his answer.

"No, I don't. When I think about it, I do not regret it." Arthur replied. "If I was given a chance to rise to the throne again, to be King Arthur again, then I would take it."

"Good, good!" The King of Conquerors smiled. "Otherwise, I may have scolded you for it, hahaha! But I'm now curious, why do you wish to change the past if that's the case?"

The white knight chuckled briefly at the large man before sighing. "I suppose I just can't help but desire it. There were those that I failed immensely, and while I know I did what I could, I couldn't bring myself to ignore their cries. I only wish to do right by them. With the Holy Grail, perhaps I could do just that. Surely there's a chance of giving those people the salvation they deserved, to create a world where they can live without worry, if only to grant them a sense of peace."

"I see..." Iskander nodded, a hand under his chin as he stared at his fellow king.

"Only a fool would desire salvation for others." Gilgamesh muttered, a distasteful frown on his face as he laid his eyes upon his fellow King. "King of Knights, you would dare to waste the power of the grail on something so feeble?"

"What you value most are your treasures Archer." The White Knight quickly, yet subtly, glared in response. "What I value most would be my people and those who stood by my side in upholding order and protecting my homeland. There can be no comparison between the two."

"Mongrel, do not presume to know me so to make such an accusation." The Golden King gave off an uncharacteristic growl. Normally, it wouldn't have come off a surprise, but the tone of voice and angered visage on Gilgamesh's face had been different compared to his usual ones.

"Hey now, be nice you two. Besides, I have another question." Iskander interrupted, before the argument between the two could go on any further. "This goes for you too Lancer since you were a ruler as well."

Listening closely, the two other rulers looked at the King of Conquerors curiously as he spoke.

"What are your paths of kingship?" He asked. "Mine is that of conquest, Archer's is following through with the law he sets down. What about you two? I'm curious to hear what either of you have to say."

"Prosperity and defense." Vlad quickly replied. "No matter what, a king must ensure that their country is able to live well and without the threat of invasion from other countries. As such, I allowed myself to become a symbol of fear. Though I regret what eventually became of my reputation..."

While saying that, the goblet in Vlad's hand had been completely crushed, the Golden King voicing out his discontent at the action since it belonged to him.

"...my efforts were able to bring about peace to my homeland for a time." He finished, a smile on his face. Oblivious to the fact that Gilgamesh was glaring at him annoyed.

"My answer would be similar to Lancer's own." Arthur began. "Individuals such as ourselves can only last for so long in this world. Thus, I believe in guiding a country to a future in which it can prosper without the king's presence is most important."

"Indeed."

Vlad nodded in approval. Though he knew that their methods and views differed, he and Saber shared similar sentiments when it came to protecting their country. That much, the Lord Impaler could respect him for.

"Ridiculous..."

The Golden King muttered as he took a sip from his goblet. Normally, he would have said something in response to Saber's statement. But he found it to be too troublesome by this point in trying to say anything.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to do that." The former grew a crooked smile on his face. "Shows what I know, does it not?"

"..."

Mordred fidgeted slightly at that, her father's words hitting rather close to home, unable to find it within herself to say anything. Kairi actually began to worry. Seeing the red knight who was normally loud being so quiet only served to unnerve him more the longer the banquet was being held.

"Hahaha! It's alright Saber, no need to be such a gloom!" Iskander stated, noticing the awkward atmosphere between parent and child and decided to interfere. "Even my own empire dissolved after my death, so you and I are in a similar position when you think about it. And I finally understand what your problem is..."

"My problem?"

"You're simply too tied down by your past." The King of Conquerors declared. "I can clearly see that you're a man of honor and righteousness, two virtues of which that I can easily respect you for as a man and king. Knowing that, I can understand your desire in wanting to grant salvation to the people you _think_ you failed."

He then paused to take a sip from his cup before continuing.

"But, you did the best you could didn't you? And that you do not regret becoming King? If so, then you should take pride in yourself for what you have accomplished and be able to move on. While it maybe hard, nothing ever is in this world. As a man and fellow king, I say this to you. Learn to let go of your wish, and trust me when I say that you'll find life to be much more enjoyable afterwards King of Knights."

Arthur simply blinked at this in surprise, taking a moment to contemplate Iskandar's words.

"He's right Arthur."

Jeanne quickly added herself as the young man looked at her.

"What matters is that you did what you could, isn't that enough?" She asked. "To desire from the grail the salvation of others is most noble in itself. But I believe that Rider has a point in saying that you should try to move on from it. I may not be able to understand what you went through, but I believe that allowing yourself to be burdened by your past is something I cannot allow as your friend."

Slightly taken aback from this, the young man silently began to contemplate the words of his Master and the King of Conquerors.

 _'Just learning to move on...?'_

Arthur had heard such words said to him many times in his life, with the main speakers being Merlin and Kay. Those two were always advising the young man on many things, one of which was learning when to let go of the past in order to move on with the present. Something that, according to both, he never learned.

If he had to say something, then that was actually wrong. Arthur knew well enough that he did the best he could. That was all anyone could really do in life. Living life the best way the could, and making sure that their legacy would carry on into the future.

However, whenever it came down to contemplating about his wish and letting things be, he didn't really know what to do. Part of him felt the need to right by those he had failed, but another part knew it was no longer his problem.

The knight that desired to fulfill his duty in order to save his people, and the man who desired to move on... Two forces within him clashing against one another, both of equal value to Arthur. The young man didn't know which side to choose.

His thoughts were interrupted when an overwhelming sensation came over him and the rest of the other Servants in the garden.

"This feeling is...!?"

"There's something above us...!"

Looking up, they that there was nothing but clear night sky above them. However, that soon changed when slowly, a gigantic fortress of earth and steel appeared out of nowhere from the darkness floating not too far from the castle itself.

"What the hell is that thing...!?" Kairi exclaimed. Just how the hell did they miss something that big?!

"The Hanging Gardens of Babylon..." The Golden King muttered as he stepped forward, a smile on his face as he continued. "Hahaha! Magnificent, I never thought to see a completed version of the gardens here out of all places. So that wench and her Master have finally decided to make their move."

"Babylon...?" The King of Conquerors muttered, then that means that the fortress above was the Assyrian Queen's Noble Phantasm wasn't it? Had it been under normal circumstances, he would have admired it for what it was.

While the others were shocked at the sudden presence of the floating fortress, Jeanne herself was distracted by something else.

 _'Wait, what is this sensation...? I haven't felt anything like this before...!'_

* * *

"Now then... we finally begin."

Viewing their opponents together at the edge of fortresses' platforms were the rogue Servants and Shirou Kotomine. The latter had a smile on his face as he observed the Red and Black Faction members together with Ruler and her group below.

"Our mission is to keep them busy, correct?"

Karna, the Child of the Sun God Surya.

"That seems simple enough."

Atalanta, the Chaste Huntress.

"Such numbers we face... A daunting task has presented itself before us."

Perseus, Slayer of the Gorgon.

"AAAAAARRRTTTTTHUUURR!"

Lancelot du Lac, Knight of the Lake.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Lu Bu, the Bastard of Three Fathers.

"Ugh... why do we have two Berserkers on the team? And remind me, who are we fighting again?"

Robin Hood, Vigilante Hero of Old.

"Look below if you wish to see. Though perhaps you are too afraid of doing so?"

Semiramis, the Assyrian Queen.

"Hoho~! This appears to be a most extravagant event~! I must write this down!"

William Shakespeare, Writing Extraordinaire.

Having decided that there was no longer any point in hiding themselves anymore, the white-haired priest felt that it was courtesy to introduce themselves to their foes. As such, he looked towards Assassin, whom smiled as she saw her Master's gaze fall upon her.

"Now then... Assassin, if you would." Shirou began.

"Hehe~" The raven-haired beauty giggled as she waved her hand. What she was about to do should quickly explain their motivations to their enemies.

* * *

Soon the several large beams of light converged at a singular point in the sky. Realizing what what about to happen, Jeanne called out to everyone.

"Everyone please get behind me!" She exclaimed before turning to Achilles. "Lancer! Please bring out your shield!"

"Will do!"

With that, the green-haired warrior's shield, Akhilleus Kosmos, appeared in his free hand as he quickly stood beside the young saint who pulled out her banner. Closing her eyes, she held it close to her breast.

The banner had become a symbol to her. It represented her will and desire to fight, as well as her desire to serve God and ease his pain. Those feelings she had eventually became a form of defense in itself, allowing her to stand up to whoever would stand in her way.

Quickly, she opened her eyes once more and raised the banner as high as she could, the white cloth flowing in the wind as the beam of light in the sky fired off a powerful blast aimed directly at the group.

 _ **"LUMINOSITE ETERNELLE!"**_

* * *

"Aah, I can't wait anymore~!"

Watching the ongoing events with a keen interest, Sajyou Manaka began to giggle to herself as she held onto the crystal ball in her hands more tightly. Behind her were six individuals, all of whom observed the girl as she began speaking.

"Ehehehe~! Just wait for me Saber, we'll be meeting each other again soon~!"

* * *

 _ **FATE/MAGNUS BELLUM**_

 _ **ACT I:**_

 _ **THE ALLIANCE**_

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

Wow! This is _the_ single longest thing I've ever written on this site at this moment in time. Consider this a special chapter since it's goes well beyond my now standard 10-12K limit for a chapter.

Anyway, onto the chapter itself. Remember what I said about making Arthur different from Altria? Well I meant it, and hoped that it showed here. The main difference I wanted to convey was that Arthur didn't regret being King (Based on F/P material and the prequel novels) but still regretted a few stuff in order to coincide with the fact that his life basically turned to shit the last few years of his life XP I mean seriously, who doesn't come out of that without a few regrets?

Also, I wanted to show that Arthur isn't as naive as his counterpart (Again, something I based off from the prequel novels and side material regarding F/P) Which is a reason why he doesn't really speak out against either of his fellow Kings as much. Though he trades a few barbs with Gilgamesh because, let's face it, he's Gilgamesh XP Anyway, I have a love/hate thing going on with the Banquet of Heroes itself. Some say its okay, so I don't dwell on it as much as I did when I first finished it. That said, given that I'm something of a perfectionist, I'm going to be reworking said scene every now and again to make sure it's as good as possible.

I made Iskander more understanding of Arthur here because I noticed that what ticked him off most with Altria was the fact that she regretted her rule, wanting to redo it from start to finish, along with her idealistic view on Kingship. Still, if Iskander does come off as OoC, along with several other characters, then I apologize for that. Either way, I'm not really done with this Iskander/Arthur talks. There's going to be a few more.

Anyway, Act I has finally ended. Act II is where the real shit-storm begins and where **PEOPLE WILL BEGIN TO DIE WHEN THEY'RE KILLED.** XD

That's it for now. Again, please read and review :D


	13. Act II-13: Battle for the Grail I

_**AN: And so comes CH13 folks. Kept you waiting huh? ;D Please read and review.  
**_

* * *

"Heh~" Roche muttered. "I'll admit, this is a really interesting to watch."

Within the confines of Roche and Caster's workshop, said Master and Servant duo were able to observe the ongoing event that took place in the castle garden thanks to the latter's abilities. At the moment, the King of Knights, Lancer, the King of Conquerors, and the Golden King were having a discussion with each other.

"Why don't you join them? I can easily handle things from here by myself."

"No, I think I'd feel bad about leaving you here alone." At this, Caster smiled before turning her attention back to the crystal ball floating in front of her.

If the Witch of Betrayal had anything to say about the Banquet that had occurred, it was that she felt somewhat left out. At the same time however, she felt that it would have also been a waste of time on her part since she had things to do.

"Master, about that thing I talked to you about..."

"Oh, wait, I'll get it!"

Turning around to look behind her, the hooded woman gazed at her current subject for the night as her master quickly ran up the stairs to the main room of their workshop.

Sieg, the homunculus that Rider had befriended, laid asleep upon a table with a white sheet over his body.

Two nights ago, she had summoned the Dragon of Colchis in order for Saber of Black to kill and take its heart. As it was merely a phantasmal beast that was summoned by a Servant, it would have eventually disappeared had it not been for her quick action. Being a magus from the Age of Gods taught her a good few tricks.

Thanks to that, the Witch of Betrayal now had a fresh dragon heart within her arsenal. Normally, it would have been useless to her in its current state, but with the presence of the young homunculi owned by Yggdmillennia, she now had options.

Believing that he was the best candidate to choose from due to his magic circuits being of high quality, Darnic had volunteered a homunculus that Rider of Black had befriended and named Sieg. As a homunculus who had only been recently created, his body and soul were still considered pure in essence. Transplanting the dragon heart into him should, in theory, go rather smoothly.

And it did actually. Thanks to Sieg's physiology, the aid of Saber of Black's Master and her own knowledge of magic surgery, the process was a smooth transition. Though Rider of Black had reservations regarding it, he decided to play along since so far there have yet been any signs of danger towards his friend.

 _'Such a softhearted fool that one is. Though I suppose softhearted fools are more likable than moronic fools...'_ She mused to herself.

After walking towards the stairs, Caster flicked her wrist. Quickly, a wall rose up and sealed away the room where the sleeping homunculi rested within.

Joining her Master upstairs, Roche came up to her with a piece of paper in his hands. Taking hold of it, perhaps now she could-

...!

All thoughts quickly disappeared from her mind as she looked up towards the ceiling as she felt the presence of a rather large entity coming their way. And from what she could sense, it was already very close in proximity towards the castle.

 _'What is this...?! Why didn't I sense it sooner?! I have to inform-'_

"Wait, what is that...?"

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her Master's voice. Looking back towards her crystal ball, Caster's eyes widened in shock as she saw a gigantic flying fortress floating right above the castle.

Before Caster could even react, the castle began to shake rather violently, her crystal ball revealing the cause of which was that the fortress above them launched an enormous and powerful blast of pure mana at it. The Servant of Magic shielded herself and her Master from the stone material that began to fall from the ceiling as a result of the tremors.

When all was said and done, Caster returned her gaze towards her crystal ball.

 _'Did they make it...? I have to-'_

Feeling another sensation come over her, Caster instinctively change the image being projected by the crystal ball in order to focus on another location within the castle premises. No sooner than she did it did the crystal ball began showing an image of the room where the Holy Grail was being held in.

"Isn't that Julian...?" Roche began in surprise.

Noting her Master's reaction, Caster saw for herself the boy known as Julian Ainsworth. Together with his Assassins, both were within the room with the latter creating what appeared to be a magic circle around the grail itself with the former instructing them. Just what on earth were they-

"...!?"

 ***CLANG***

Reacting as fast as she could, the hooded woman brought out her staff and used it to strike down the incoming projectile aimed at her Master's head. Seeing that he was safe, she glared as hard she could at the assailant.

"What's the meaning of this Assassin? You would dare attack my Master?!" She demanded as several Assassin Personas appeared before her with their weapons drawn.

She knew that Assassin had more than one of his personas nearby. It was one reason why she was able to react as fast as she could. But she didn't think that he would have so many of them watching over her. Presence Concealment truly was a troublesome skill.

"We do this under the order of our Master." One of them spoke. "And his order is for us to kill the both of you."

"Hmph, so you would dare betray us?"

The hooded sorceress half-expected this. Their Master alone was able to give off such a cold aura about himself that even she was wary of him. Add to Assassin's abilities, it was only a matter of time before he made a move. It looked like she was right in her assumptions.

"Betrayal is only applicable if the betrayer considered who they're betraying to have been their comrades." A second one stated with a smug tone. "In your case, we never did."

"However Caster, we are also here to make you an offer." A third one began. "Our orders may be to kill the both of you, but our Master has also offered an alternative."

"Oh? And that would be?" Caster asked.

"Kill your Master and join us willingly. Our Master and his allies have noted that as a magus from the Age of Gods, you would prove to be of great asset to their cause. You want it don't you? Considering your history, I believe you'd want to have a chance of another life. Our Masters can give you this as their goal is-"

"The salvation of humanity." The hooded woman finished for them. "Hmph, while honorable to a degree, I find myself laughing at anyone trying to attempt such a thing."

Gazing at Roche for a brief moment, she continued to speak.

"And under no circumstances will I bring harm to my Master. You all have some nerve to even suggest such a thing."

Even if she desired to have another chance at life, she had become rather fond of Roche, enough to ensure that she wouldn't betray him. She chuckled mentally to herself that perhaps she was being a tad softhearted, realizing that she now no longer had any real right to call Rider that herself.

"That's a shame then." The third Assassin replied.

"Perhaps," Caster shrugged. "Now then, begone from here."

"You think we go away simply because-"

 ***BOOM***

Before one of the Assassins had time to finish what he had to say, Caster raised her staff and quickly sent them flying across the room with a large blast of pure mana. It didn't kill him, but merely enough to silence him as Caster continued to speak.

"Oh my, did I hit someone?" The hooded woman giggled to herself. "Ah well, I suppose I should teach you fools what it means to take on a magus within their workshop. I believe it shall prove to be an entertaining way to pass the time. You lot should have just hid in the shadows, you may even stand a greater chance against me if so."

Levitating as she looked towards Roche, Caster spoke.

"Master, be sure to stay near my side alright?"

"R-Right!" The young redhead replied nervously. Admittedly, he had believed that Caster would have gone through with Assassin's offer. After revealing that she didn't, he couldn't help but feel ashamed at himself a little.

Smiling, she turned and faced the Assassins with a determined look on her face. Snapping her fingers, several golems came to life along with several dragon-tooth warriors sprouting from the ground beneath.

She'd need to inform the others about this, but first she needed to take care of the problem in front of her.

"Don't be foolish Caster, you truly believe you'd be able to take us on?"

"Indeed, your Presence Concealment Skill would make it difficult for me to keep track of where you lot are... but,"

 ***ZAP***

A bolt of lightning from Caster's fingertips suddenly struck an empty space on the wall, revealing the presence of yet another Assassin, who was now dead on the ground. Such an action only caused the other personas to go on the alert as the Servant of Magic continued speaking.

"However Assassin, I did not simply waste my time here in the Castle simply doing what I was told my Darnic and Lancer." She began. "After all, these alliances we've struck with each other are but fleeting escapades. It would've been only a matter of time before we each turned against ourselves. As such preparations had to be made."

Knowing the implications of such a statement, Medea's smile grew even more as she saw Assassin being visibly shaken by the reveal. She then posed one last question to the Servant of the Shadows.

"Well then gentlemen, is there any one of you willing to dance with this lady?"

* * *

 ** _FATE/MAGNUS BELLUM_**

 _ **ACT II**_

 _ **Chapter 13:**_

 _ **Battle for the Grail I**_

* * *

 _ **"LUMINOSITE ETERNELLE!"**_

Raising her flag high, a brilliant wave of light completely surrounded all those present at the garden, something which was the result of the combined effect of her Noble Phantasm and Lancer of Red's own.

On its own, her flag had the power to protect anything within its range. However, it had its limits, and she knew that she would not be able to withstand such an attack on her own. Knowing this, she called for Lancer of Red's aid.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck or even the Lord's intervention that had allowed the Greek Hero to have been summoned with the ability to use his shield.

Akhilleus Kosmos, the Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky. A Noble Phantasm that had the ability to protect all within the world. It was one of the mightiest defenses that could be conceived by mankind. However, its range was rather limited. To compensate for this, she decided to use it together with her own Noble Phantasm.

The young saint had no idea if it would work, all she had to go on was faith. And her faith has been rewarded more than once, didn't it?

As soon as they both deployed their Noble Phantasms, the barrier that formed around the group was bombarded by beams of light.

Thanks to the faith of the girl who allowed herself to be a martyr, and the shield of the invincible hero of Greece, the group found themselves being protected.

Explosions rang out as those present to witness the event could only look on in wonder. As dangerous as they were, there was beauty in the scenery caused by the barrier protecting them from the beams of light. The combined might of Jeanne's flag and Achilles' shield doing their work in isolating them completely from harm.

That said, it only protected them. The castle itself began to suffer from the deflected blasts as parts of it crumbled away in destruction.

Soon the assault began to die down, ending a short moment later. With that, the barrier went down as all turned their gazes towards the fortress in the sky.

"Bastards nearly got us..." Kairi muttered under his breath. So this was that Kotomine kid was up to with Assassin? He knew he should have just popped him when he had the chance.

The young saint decided to take a moment to herself. Though the burden was lessened thanks to Lancer of Red's aid, she still expended quite a bit of mana in using her Noble Phantasm. She would need to prevent herself from performing anything too strenuous for the time being. Thankfully, since she and Arthur received their mana directly from the grail itself, it would only be a short moment.

That said, there was a system in place that prevented them from taking too much energy. It was a fail safe designed to ensure that, should a Ruler-Class Servant go rogue themselves, there was still the chance for the participants taking them down.

Back to the matter at hand, its quite obvious who was responsible for the current events. Looking up, she was able to identify the fortress as the Noble Phantasm of Assassin of Red. She could feel the presence of several other Servants with her, but two of them in particular felt disturbing to the young saint.

The first felt familiar, and Jeanne highly suspected it to be Berserker of Red. She always felt that it was rather strange how easily the Servant of Madness was taken down by Lancer of Black, with no disrespect intended towards the latter. Taking into consideration the existence of the Class-Cards, the possibility of facing Berserker of Red didn't actually surprise her as much as it should have.

The second one however was different. It was unlike any sensation she had felt before, for no other Servant she had encountered had gave off the feeling she was having right now. She couldn't explain it, but she was sure that whoever it was, they were going to be threat.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt another familiar sensation coming up them from above. Deciding to look up, the blonde-haired maiden widened her eyes in realization.

"That's...!"

Directing their gazes at what the young saint was referring to, they all saw a familiar figure flying out from the fortress and headed straight for the group.

Said figure's vehicle of choice happened to be a black fighter jet, one that they were riding atop on. Wearing armor as dark as the night sky and covered in a strange mist, the newcomer bellowed a loud roar as he laid his eyes upon his targets.

The Knight of the Lake had begun his assault.

"Is that a harrier?! Where the hell did he get something like that?!" The mercenary demanded incredulously.

"No time to wonder about that, here he comes!" Iskander declared as everyone readied themselves.

"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Black Knight cried out, launching a barrage of missiles, far more than what a standard harrier could hold, aimed at the castle.

"Hmph, worthless pieces of metal."

With but a simple statement, the missiles in the air exploded as they found themselves being impaled by several blades and arrows. Looking to the source, they saw Chiron with his bow at the ready and Archer of Red with ten portals of light floating behind him.

"I was wondering when that mongrel would show his face to me again." The latter smirked as he began walking towards the edge of the garden, observing that Berserker had begun to circle around the castle after seeing his initial attack fail.

"How interesting..."

He had known about fighter jets thanks to the grail providing him with information, but this was the first time he had seen one in person. If the King of Heroes had to say anything the one the Black Knight was using, it would be that it was incredibly fast for something that looked so messy in comparison to the flying machines of his time. Though it didn't stop him from wondering how it would compare to said machines.

With that, Gilgamesh began smirking to himself.

"Very well then, I shall play with you on your terms. This should prove to be a most entertaining duel."

Seeing that the Golden King was full intent on taking on the Black Knight, Reines sighed and said one thing only.

"Archer, be sure to take his head alright?"

"Hah! As if I need a little girl to tell me that!" He laughed.

With that, the Golden King casually took a step forward off the ledge.

As soon as he did, a golden platform with emerald wing like attachments to it suddenly raised itself from where Archer fell.

"The hell is that...!?" Kairi couldn't help but question. The night was filled with strange shit, and he had feeling this wasn't the end of it.

Vimana took to the stage, with the Golden King smiling as he was seated upon the throne in its center. Looking above, he called out to Berserker as the flying ship began to spread out its wings.

"Now! Entertain me Black Knight!"

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Several explosions rang out in the air as both individuals zipped through the air faster than the eye could see, the Golden King firing off volleys of his weaponry against the Black Knight who countered with flares and missiles of his own.

Everyone couldn't believe what was happening right now. Not only was the Black Knight flying a fighter jet, but Archer of Red had something in his arsenal that proved to be capable of matching the former in terms of speed.

"Haha! Goldie sure does have a lot of stuff within that treasury of his. First it was weapons, then furniture, then wine, and now that thing? I'm really tempted to take it from him now~" Iskander declared with a grin as he materialized his Servant attire onto himself.

"Now isn't the time for that!" Waver stated. "We need to...!"

Before he could finish, he found himself silenced as suddenly numerous flying Dragon-Tooth warriors, well within the thousands or even more if he had to count, flew out of the fortress and made their descent towards the castle.

"Rider, Berserker, please go!" Jeanne cried out as she turned to both pink-haired individuals who smiled in response.

"Alright then, we shall take to the skies~!"

"Ah! Don't leave me behind like that!"

Soon as they appeared, Astolfo took to the skies with his hippogriff followed by Elizabeth as she manifested her dragon wings.

"Then I suppose I should follow them as well shouldn't I?" Iskander said.

Taking out his sword, he slashed the empty space in front of him as lightning cackled and brought forth his chariot, Gordius Wheel. No matter how many times passed, seeing it and the divine bulls that pulled it was never a bore for the King of Conquerors.

"Boy, leave the skies to both us and Archer." He began, glancing at Chiron who nodded as he took aim. "With these numbers, I think we can all agree on one thing. These guys are here for the Holy Grail."

"That much is obvious." Vlad responded as he summoned his spear. "Do as you wish King of Conquerors, the rest of us shall defend this castle."

"Please be careful." Jeanne stated as she called everyone's attention. "The Rogue Faction is here in full force. Should you encounter one of their Servants, do not hesitate to use everything in your arsenal to defeat them with. As Miss Tohsaka stated, they'll only truly be defeated by destroying the cards that serve as their Spiritual Cores."

"Will do young saint, and best of luck to you as well! Hyah!"

Lightning cackled once more as Rider's chariot took to the sky, plowing through the dragon-tooth warriors that got in his way while the others that passed him landed upon the ground with their weapons at the ready.

"Time to have a little fun!"

"Hell yeah!"

Charging in, both Achilles, Cu Chulainn grinned wildly as they began taking on the army that stood in front of them, the duo soon being joined by the rest of their fellow Servants as they began to mow down their foes in droves.

"Bastards are just lining themselves up!"

Taking out his shotgun and handgun, Kairi began firing away at the Dragon-Tooth Warriors. Soon he was joined by his fellow Masters in the defense of the castle. Though they were nothing compared to their Servants, they still had their own worth in comparison to the puppets that began their assault.

All except Caules, Reines, and Ayaka, the trio of which stood behind two golems that protected them.

Seeing that he should lend a hand as well, Waver reached into his coat and took out what appeared to be a...

"Is that a maid figurine...?"

Caules couldn't help but ask as he saw what most definitely a small maid figurine, though strangely it looked to be completely metallic in appearance with the exception of the clothes it was wearing.

"You be quiet. Keep your focus on your surroundings." Waver called out.

 ***SLASH***

Before Caules could say something in response, he heard the sound of bones breaking right behind him.

Looking back, he saw Ruler and the gray-haired girl wearing the black cloak standing there with a large scythe hefted on her shoulder. The remains of several Dragon-Tooth Warriors surrounding her.

"Now is not the time to be distracted." Jeanne spoke.

"Be alert." Gray quietly added.

"R-Right!"

"Gray, you and Shishigou be sure to keep him, Reines, and that girl Ayaka safe."

"Yes." Gray replied with a bow, the action of which resulted in her nearly hitting Caules with her scythe as the young man comically avoided it.

Waver had faith that Reines would be able to perform the task well. Ever since he took her on as an apprentice, the girl had been nothing short of performing well in whatever she was tasked with. And she was no stranger to combat either.

Turning his attention back to the figurine in his hands, Waver gently laid it down upon the ground spoke.

"Fervor, mei sanguis."

With that, the figurine suddenly began to shape shift into larger form. Its appearance was still that of that a young woman, but its hands and hair were turned into blades.

Volumen Hydrargyrum: Marrow of the Moon Spirit. The Mystic Code of the late Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, Waver's predecessor and former professor at the Clock Tower. Anything related to him brought nothing but bad memories to the long-haired man, which was why he always insisted that people refer to him as "El-Melloi II".

That said, Kayneth was someone of great talent, Volumen Hydrargyrum being a prime example of his legacy. Though when Waver got his hands on it, he decided to modify its appearance and abilities somewhat since he felt that the initial form was rather lacking.

As a result, it went from being a simple blob of mercury that could only follow basic commands into a maid golem that could perform a wider range of tasks. It usually served Reines when it wasn't with him, with the young head of the Archibald family having given it a new name as well. It also ended up developing something of a personality of its own thanks to having watched a certain movie about robots from the future.

As such, it ended up only responding when spoken to in a certain way. What was the command for eliminating the enemy?

"Trimmau, **terminate** them."

"Acknowledged."

Charging ahead, Trimmau dived into the chaos as it began destroying every single dragon-tooth warrior in its path.

"You will not take this castle!"

With a flick of her wrist, Fiore's mystic code activated as she was lifted off the ground. Raising two of its legs, balls of light began forming at their tips before erupting into a consecutive number of energy blasts.

"Whoa, the kid already managed to fix that thing. Better watch out." Kairi muttered in wonder as he stared at Caules, Reines, and Ayaka. "Like El-Melloi said, you three get behind Gray and Ruler. Right now, you're all liabilities since none of you can even fight that well."

Thanks to the their last meeting, the mercenary knew that Caules' combat abilities were below average when compared to the rest of his family. Reines being a pampered noble wouldn't have much experience in fighting either, and he could tell at a glance that the Tohsaka girl wasn't going to be any better considering that she was shaking in her boots.

"I'd normally take offense to that. But considering the situation, I'll allow it to pass." Reines stated with a huff, knowing better than to argue as did her two current colleagues.

"...!"

Stabbing his spear into the ground, several hundred stakes rose up from the earth and stabbed all enemies that surrounded Vlad. It was a futile gesture on part of his enemies

No sooner than when he did this did several flying warriors came from above weapons at the ready.

 ***SLASH***

Siegfried leaped into the air as he took down said enemies with a single swing from his sword.

Landing just as quickly, the Servant of Black found himself surrounded and being attacked on all fronts. Readying himself, Siegfried prepared to strike...

 ***SLASH* *SLASH***

Not that it mattered as Arthur and Mordred dispatched them together, the two blondes simply opting to give a silent look to one another before turning their gazes towards the invincible dragon-slayer.

"I thank you for your assistance, but it was not needed."

Turning his back, he once again swung his sword and struck down several incoming foes.

"Well, we _are_ allies after all. Whether or not you'd need it doesn't really matter does it?" Arthur stated in response as he too swung his sword and took down another pair that came upon them.

As far as he knew, the Dragon-Tooth Warriors that they were fighting right now were slightly above in quality towards the ones that the Black Faction pulled out during their first battle against the Red Faction. The major difference being that their current opponents had the ability to fly and were far and beyond the thousands. He had to admit, he was slightly impressed with the numbers they were facing.

"Hmph! Don't apply that logic to me." Mordred commented as she destroyed another and stood back to back with both her father and Siegfried. "I'm just making sure that you realize that I won't allow myself to be outdone by you. Our last encounter still proves to be a bitter memory to me. When the time comes, I'll be taking your head for myself!"

Siegfried glanced at Mordred for a good few moments before smiling in recognition. Not long afterwards, the Saber trio began their assault.

 ***SHNNK***

Striking down another enemy, Vlad was about to continue with the rest when suddenly several dozen golems and dragon-tooth warriors appeared within the garden. Immediately, he was able to tell that it was Caster of Black's handiwork when he saw them engaging the enemy. He then began speaking aloud.

"Caster, it's about time you decided to join us in-What was that!?"

Suddenly, Vlad began to shout into the sky as the others briefly glanced at him.

"They would dare to turn on us...!?"

"My lord, what has happened?" Darnic inquired.

"Julian and Assassin have turned against us!" He revealed. "Caster is doing her best in protecting Roche against Assassin, but the boy himself is up to something within the room where the greater grail is located at!"

Hearing that, the Masters of Black, most especially Darnic, froze up in shock themselves. One of their own had betrayed them? The latter had been the most surprised of all should one care to look at his face before it turned into one of pure rage.

Julian was betraying him of all people!?

"Assassin...? I thought Archer had killed him off already." Reines muttered in surprise.

"Clearly we were mistaken." Waver commented in response, the same reaction which both Gray and Kairi shared as well.

Quickly realizing the situation, Darnic called out to both the young saint and the King of Knights, blasting away a dragon-tooth warrior that came close.

"Ruler! Part of your duty is to administrate punishment on those would dare go against the established rules of the Grail War is it not?" He inquired before continuing. "Then go and fulfill that duty! You should also take the King of Knights and his child with you just in case. The rest of us can handle things here."

"What?! Who are you to-" Mordred began in outrage.

"Save it for later! Right now, just do what the man says!" Kairi interrupted as the blonde-haired knight frowned in distaste.

Jeanne wanted to say something in response, but found logic within Lancer of Black's words to her. Looking towards Arthur, she saw him nod in agreement as well. For now, they had to make sure that the grail was safe and secure from their enemies reach.

"I understand... May the lord favor you all in this battle!"

Soon afterwards, the three Servants left and headed inside the castle followed by the Masters of Black and Red. Clicking her tongue once more, Mordred relented and followed the group herself as cast one last look at what she believed would have been an entertaining battle.

"Well then, I suppose it's time for me to get serious to compensate for their absence."

Smirking, Vlad once more stabbed his spear into the ground.

 ***SHNNK***

With that, every single dragon-tooth warrior within the reach found themselves being impaled and destroyed simultaneously. Looking back towards their fellow Lancer-Class Servant, both Achilles and Cu Chulainn had one thing to say.

"Show off."

Vlad merely ignored their comments. In in the end, it didn't really matter did it? He and the others then felt the presence of three powerful beings above them. Looking above, he smirked as he saw the Rogue Servants falling from the sky before landing on the terrain within the garden.

The first was someone recognized by both Gordes and Siegfried. With hair and skin white as snow wearing strange golden armor that had a cape made of up of flames, Karna stood unfazed by the looks being directed at him by his foes.

The other was the Rogue Rider that help saved the Black Knight the other night. Currently, he was wielding a scythe with a long grip that had a red cloth tied around it.

It was the third person that was a familiar face, to both Vlad and the rest, the former merely smirking as he once more came face-to-face with the last opponent he had fought since the Holy Grail War began.

"Berserker of Red."

"RAAAAGH!"

"This must be Julian's handiwork...!" Darnic muttered, remembering that Julian had interfered during the fight between Lancer and Berserker the other night.

"I guess this confirms that kid of yours is working with ours. Tch, teenagers...!" Kairi muttered with a slight smirk.

"It does not matter." Vlad interrupted. "Saber! Lancer!"

Siegfried quickly came to the side of his ally as he stood gazed upon the Rogue Lancer. He had seen a portion of what he could do during the first night, but now it seems he had the chance to see more. Karna held the same thoughts, wondering if Saber of Black would be able to put up a good fight against him. Now was their chance to find out.

On the other hand...

"Yeah?!" Both spearsman currently engaging the enemy ground forces called out, causing a silent yet incredulous reaction from their counterpart.

"He meant ours!" Kairi called out as Cu Chulainn shrugged while Achilles grinned and went towards his current allies.

"That's going to be a little confusing." Ayaka muttered. Maybe she should just call Lancer by his real name? No, no, there was a chance of that backfiring on her in the future even if she was neutral.

Standing together, the three Knight Class Servants stood together as they faced down the rogue trio.

"Now then, let's begin!"

 ***CLANG***

* * *

"Lancer, Rider, and Berserker have just engaged the enemy."

Atop the floating fortress, both Shirou and Semiramis watched the ensuing chaos unfold, the latter in particular using a crystal ball to more closely observe the ongoing battle that went on beneath them.

"I see." The young man crossed his arms momentarily in thought before replying. "Atalanta, Robin Hood, provide them them covering fire if you would."

* * *

"Easier said than done."

Standing at two different points that gave them each a full view of the castle and the battle taking place within the area were Robin Hood and Atalanta, the former chewing on a small snack as he heard their leader speak through telepathy.

Seriously, a few moments after summoning and he was already being thrown into a battle like this? With the fact that he still had little to no idea just who the hell they were fighting as well the fact that he barely knew his allies as well. Just what did he do to piss off God so much that he found himself in his current predicament?

"Ah well, might as well get to work." He spoke, readying his crossbow. Before doing so, the rogue archer suddenly began smiling to himself as he called out to his ally using the telepathic link established by Assassin.

 _"Hey kitty, wanna have a little contest to see who can take down one of those guys first?"_

 _"Don't you dare call me by that ridiculous name!"_ Atalanta demanded.

She was irritated by the fact that her ally retained his tendency to be annoying. Really now, just why did she have to get paired with him of all people?

Pulling back the bowstring of her weapon, several arrows manifested in the middle as the Chaste Huntress focused her sights upon the flying creature within the sky being rode upon by a certain pink haired warrior.

With a burst, the arrows flew and made their way towards the young paladin.

* * *

"Hah...!"

Astolfo charged the flying dragon-tooth warriors with his lance. There was an incredible amount of them, and combined with the fact that he had to dodge numerous blasts of magical energy aimed at him, the young paladin found himself in quite a pickle.

Luckily, there was a pause between the attacks, long enough to give him and the others some breathing space and collect their thoughts.

However, it didn't mean they could get close as they found themselves surrounded by numerous flying Dragon-Tooth Warriors. Really, there was just so many of them! Was this what the Red Faction felt when they had to go fight against their forces that night?

That said, he wasn't so much in danger so much as he found it a chore to be fighting so many. When the pinkette momentarily took a chance to observe his comrades, he noticed that they weren't troubled as much either. In fact, Berserker was doing fine on her own as she dodged and flew throughout the sky, most likely due to the fact that she was a smaller target compared to both the young paladin and the King of Conquerors.

"Ahahaha~! You're going to have to do a lot better than that you pigs~!"

Speaking of which, the latter was grinning wildly as he spurred his chariot onward, smashing away any foes in his path, while another who stood behind him, a warrior with a bow and arrow, shot down any opponent he could find.

 _'Wait a minute, where did that one come from...?'_

Last he had known, the Red Faction only had Saber, Lancer, Archer, and Rider with them since Berserker of Red was killed by Lancer and both Caster and Assassin of Red had betrayed them along with one of their own. Yet, now there was another person together with the King of Conquerors and said person was clearly Servant as well as far as he could tell. Just how and when did he appear?

Before he could get his answer, an arrow flew directly at the pinkette's face.

"Gah...!"

Narrowly avoiding being struck in the head, the young paladin spurred the hippogriff into diving as he found himself being assaulted by a barrage of arrows.

Looking towards the source, he saw a woman with unusual colored hair aiming a bow at him while standing atop one of the fortresses' towers. He noted that what was most unusual about her was that she had what looked to be animal ears and a tail.

"Heh~! I guess she must be the one Ruler talked about earlier!"

Astolfo flew up and down as he and his mount dodged incoming barrages of arrows. Nearly all the shots aimed at them were near hits, it was astounding that the female archer could aim and shoot at him so accurately, but he supposed he should've expected that of the Archer-Class, most especially the Chaste Huntress of Arcadia herself.

"Come my friend! We shall engage the enemy!"

The young paladin spurred on his mount, the two diving towards their foe.

* * *

"Our dear Huntress has engaged Rider of Black." Semiramis stated.

"I see. Well, I have confidence in her ability to fight him off." Shirou replied. "What about Rider of Red and Berserker of Black?"

"They're trying to breakthrough our defenses, but have no such luck for now." The Assyrian Queen replied. "And as for our friends down below, they're keeping at bay the rest of the Red and Black Faction. Truly, it was fortunate that you were able to gather the catalysts needed to summon such heroes."

"That would only really apply to Lancer." The young priest shook his head. It looks like spending years of his life searching the globe for catalysts wasn't wasted after all. With the forces he had gathered, he was sure that even with Archer of Red's presence, the Red and Black Faction would find it difficult to oppose them.

Speaking of which, there was the matter of the remaining Class-Cards.

With the resources they had left, their group still had the ability to summon at least one more Servant using one of the cards. That said, the only catalysts that were left was a broken European broadsword and a Chinese spear whose blade had been quite rusted up. Thanks to not knowing who would be connected to such items, having acquired them through less than reliable sources, Shirou wasn't confident in their ability to summon a powerful Servant.

The young priest then shook his head, deciding that it wasn't time to think of such matters as he had to focus on the battle at hand.

"At any rate, what about Ruler and Saber? Do you have an idea of their locations?"

"No. As far as I can tell, they're not taking part in the conflict outside." The raven-haired beauty replied before pausing. "Oh, wait. Assassin just reported in. It seems like she, Saber, and Saber of Red are making their way towards the greater grail's chamber."

"I see." Given the current situation, it should've been obvious what Ruler was going to do from the moment the battle began.

With that, Shirou turned to leave as the raven-haired beauty began to smile at his retreating form.

"Oh? Finally taking to the battlefield yourself Master?" She said.

Smirking, the white-haired young man merely turned his head as he replied.

"Of course. It's about time I took matters into my own hands after all. I leave operations of this battle to you then Assassin."

"Yes, yes, you may count on me."

Standing in the center of the room, Shirou signaled his Servant as the Assyrian Queen flicked her wrist.

A magic circle glowed where the young man stood, shining brightly as light briefly enveloped the entire room.

As soon as it died down, Shirou was gone.

* * *

"Hey Ruler!"

Running through the hallways of the castle making their way towards the castle, the Knight of Treachery called out to the young Saint of Orleans.

"What is it?"

"Can't you just use a Command Spell to just order Assassin to commit suicide?" Mordred asked. "The same goes for that hag that owns that fortress!"

Indeed, with Jeanne's special privilege as Ruler, she would've been able to do such a thing. It would've simplified the situation of she would simply order Assassin of Red and Assassin of Black to take their own life, greatly reducing the fighting strength of the Rogue Faction.

However, there was one problem with such an idea...

"Think about it for a moment." Arthur spoke up as the red knight looked towards him. "While my Master does indeed have Command Spells, so does the enemy Masters. Until we're certain that they can't counteract any order with a Command Spell of their own, we can't afford to waste any so carelessly."

Mordred frowned as her father finished saying his piece. She'd hate to admit it, but he was right.

 ***BOOM***

Stopping in their tracks, the trio looked to see the floor in front of them break apart as a blast of mana erupted from beneath it.

As soon as the dust began to clear, several figures appeared from within the newly formed hole, one of which was a hooded woman carrying a child in one arm while holding a staff with the other. As she landed on the floor, several figures in black wearing skull masks appeared as well.

"Caster of Black!" Jeanne quickly identified the former and the boy in her hands as her Master.

"Ah, so you're Ruler?" The Servant of Magic spoke with a tone of curiosity. "My apologies, but I'm quite busy at the moment. Perhaps you could lend me your aid?"

"Hmph! As if their presence would aid you now Caster." One of the Assassins arrogantly called out.

With that said, the numerous Assassins disappeared into darkness as the group quickly went on alert. All except Jeanne that is, the blonde-haired maiden having a calm expression on her face as she spoke to the others.

"Dammit, they all have Presence Concealment?" Mordred muttered to herself in grimace. With such a skill and proper use of it, one Assassin was hard enough to deal with. But one that could manifest as multiple individuals? What kind of joke is that?

"Everyone, please listen to my commands for now."

Her thoughts were interrupted when Jeanne called out to the group.

"What?! Why should I even-?!" Mordred began.

"Just listen and you'll find out!" Arthur reprimanded as the former glared at him.

"You'd really follow her orders just like that? Where has your pride gone father!"

She found it mildly insulting that her father would so easily obey the orders of a girl who was clearly even far less skilled than Mordred was as a warrior. Her father, the proud of King of Knights, now reduced to this? What nonsense!

Before she could say anything else, Jeanne shouted.

"Arthur, Mordred, behind you!"

 ***SLASH***

"Gargh...!"

Within the span of a moment, two of the Assassins went down as the two knights struck them down.

"To your left Mordred!

 ***SLASH***

The Knight of Treachery simply began smirking as she successfully severed the head of one of their opponents.

"Arthur, above!"

 ***STAB***

Doing as he was told, Arthur saw Assassin of Black materialize as he raised Excalibur, impaling the Servant of the Shadows and killing him instantly.

"Tch! So it was true that Ruler could sense our presence!" One of them cursed as they materialized. There was no point in remaining in spirit form if Ruler could just sense their presence anyway. So much for their Presence Concealment skill.

"..."

Mordred momentarily glanced at Ruler. She hadn't known about that, so that's why her father decided to listen to Ruler.

Still, it didn't sit right for her to see her father subservient to another even if it was the mediator of the Holy Grail War. Then again, perhaps she wasn't one to judge considering that she didn't really mind following her own Master all that much.

"Will you yield Assassin?"

Stepping forward, Jeanne drew her sword and pointed it towards the Servant of the Shadows.

"Hah! You must joking." One of them spoke out with a deep voice. "You underestimate us Ruler. You think we'd be deterred so easily?"

"No, but with our combined strength, even you with all your personas cannot win against us Hassan-I-Sabbah, or perhaps I would better off saying the name of the nineteenth person to uphold the name of the legendary assassin...?"

"Enough!" Another called out, anger tinting his voice. "We are all Hassan! Nothing more, nothing less! You'd do well to remember that girl!"

"Well then I ask you again Hassan-I-Sabbah. Will you yield?" The young saint calmly replied.

"Why are you even bothering to ask? Let's just kill them and be done with their troublesome presence." Mordred spoke up as stepped forward with Clarent at the ready. Such an action only caused some of the Hassans to flinch.

"Violence isn't always the solution." Jeanne replied. If she could, she wanted to ask Assassin of Black about the Rogue Faction.

"Perhaps, but I'm inclined to agree with Mordred." Arthur added as he raised Excalibur as well. "I speak from personal experience when I say this. You can never be too careful against those who like to strike from the shadows."

Jeanne didn't know if Arthur was actually referring to the Assassin-Class Servant of Holy Grail War he had last fought in, or if it was during his own lifetime as King. Perhaps he was referring to both at the same time.

"As if we'd ever choose to sur-"

Before one of the Hassans could finish speaking, his head suddenly exploding within a brief flash of light.

"Ah, so you choose to fight then? Very well, but I'm afraid we're short on time." Caster of Black began, her staff raised. "Ruler, Julian Ainsworth is just further below. Go on ahead and take that hole there as a shortcut. I can keep these miserable traitors at bay by myself."

"Calling as miserable traitors? Hah! Such words from the Witch of Betrayal herself!"

One of the Hassans laughed, causing Medea to smile as several magic circles and formulas appeared floating beside her. To top it off, several dragon-tooth warriors stood in front of the Servant of Magic.

"Oh? To hear that dreadful sounding title spoken in my presence... You truly wish to die don't you Assassin?"

Before any response could heard or even said, Medea went on with her assault.

As much as Jeanne wanted to aid her, there were more pressing matters. Silently wishing Caster good luck, she motioned for Arthur and Mordred to follow her as they leaped into the hole where Caster had emerged together.

* * *

 ***BOOM***

"Hahahaha! Now this truly is most entertaining battle Black Knight!"

The skies was filled with numerous explosions as both Archer of Red and Berserker fought with one another. To say that it looked like something straight out of an aerial battle between fighter jets wouldn't have been an exaggeration, especially since one of them actually flying a fighter jet.

"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Black Knight roared as fired off another salvo of missiles from behind the Golden King.

Smirking at this, Gilgamesh made the Vimana take a dive as the barrage followed him. He kept the act up until he reached ground level at the side of a mountain. At which, the Golden King quickly pulled up before he crashed whereas the missiles where unable to and exploded upon contact.

Quickly scanning the area, he found his foe maintaining distance.

"What's with this cowardly tactic? Come face me!"

Darting towards his location, Vimana quickly closed the distance between the two just as Berserker turned about to face them.

Ten portals opened up alongside the flying throne. With a flick of his wrist, ten weapons shot out and heading directly towards the Black Knight.

 ***TATATATATATATATATATATATA***

Machine guns began blasting away whatever they could hit. Seeing it in action, Gilgamesh merely smirked once more as several shields came out of the portals and floated right in front of Vimana, shielding him from the attack. The two fighters passed each other by as the red-eyed blonde spoke.

"You'll have to do better than that Black Knight, it would be rather disappointing if hit and run tactics are all that you could manage in this situation."

As if having heard Archer's statement, Berserker quickly used the thrusters to stop in place and turn about much faster before giving chase. Now that he was much closer towards the Golden King, Berserker unleashed another salvo of machine gun blasts at the latter's flying throne as it began to fly erratically in order to dodge.

"Hahahaha! Not bad!"

Truth be told, he could've easily protected himself once more using any of his treasures. But, where was the fun in that? His current battle was by far the most entertainment he had experience since his summoning. It definitely made up from his inability to participate in the last assault thanks to Lancer defeating him in that wretched game.

And if he had to think about it, this was a rare occasion where he had to use Vimana in such a way. Thus, he had to savor the moment didn't he?

 ***BOOM***

Gilgamesh then began his counter-assault as he aimed his treasury behind him, firing off weapons that either missed or were shot down by the Black Knight through the use of his craft's machine guns.

"Yes, yes! Show me more Black Knight!"

* * *

Within the castle gardens...

"Hahaha!"

Charging straight at Karna, Achilles came in swinging like a madman with a smirk on his face.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG***

Each attack was met blow per blow. This was the first time he had actually encountered someone who was capable of matching in such a way. Not only was the white-haired servant capable of keeping up with in both speed and strength, but he was also able to bypass his invincibility. As such, Achilles couldn't help but give off an ecstatic smile.

"Come on, come on, come on!"

As the two invincible heroes traded blows with one another, the force of their attacks were so strong that began to destroy their surroundings just with the air pressure alone. For the Masters who witnessed the event, they could barely keep up with what was happening. So fast were their movements that it felt like they weren't actually moving at all.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

Karna smiled as he continued to trade blows with his fellow Lancer Servant. If he could, he would've quite enjoyed the prospect of facing the Hero of Troy in true one-on-one battle with nothing else to bother them both. However, he didn't have that luxury. His current task was to hold off their enemies while Julian and his Assassins retrieved the grail. As such, he believed it most appropriate to unleash his true weapon.

Their weapons clashed once more, the green-haired spearsman smirking as he glared directly into his foe's eyes.

"Whoa!"

A burst of flames quickly made Achilles jump back as the golden spear that his opponent wielded was enveloped in them. The flames quickly grew in shape, and soon enough dispersed, revealing an entirely different weapon in its place.

Whatever the hell it was, the Hero of Troy couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and excitement at seeing the overly large spear. Perhaps now he should bring out his shield too?

"Haha! Looks like I really can't afford to hold back on you!"

"Agreed, shall we continue?"

Atop the castle buildings...

Another pair of heroes fought it out. Whoever Rider was, he was indeed someone of renown if he could keep pace with the likes of the dragon-slayer Siegfried. The sickle like spear in his hands was being put to good use, and he was moving incredibly fast as well. Almost as though he was even touching the ground.

"...!"

Siegfried felt something off and quickly avoided an incoming strike at his head. Said attack managed to leave a cut on his cheek however...

Placing a two fingers upon the wound, the Servant of the Sword quickly deduced that the weapon his opponent wielded had the ability to nullify magical defenses. And seeing as how the Armor of Fafnir could be considered as such, it meant that he was as defenseless as anyone else should he allow Rider to even strike him.

However, such a thought brought a smile to Siegfried's face. Even though his opponent could wound him, if he dodged, then there wouldn't have been any problems right?

 ***CLANG***

The dragon-slayer swung Balmung in an overhead strike, his opponent parrying the attack as the former flinched. The latter quickly appeared behind him, but Siegfried reacted fast enough that his sword sheath sufficed enough to block another strike from the masked Servant.

In the front courtyard...

 _ **"KAZIKLI BEY!"**_

Hundreds of spears and stakes rose from the ground only to be cut down by Berserker, the latter of which quickly closed the distance between them forcing Vlad to actually counter him with close-combat.

Unlike last time, the mad Servant was fighting differently. Vlad could tell that his attacks now had more precision to them. As such, Berserker was even deadlier than before. Did the Rogue Faction do something to make this possible?

"RAAAAGH!"

Berserker's halberd quickly transformed into a bow, and with it, a surge of power began to gather as the Lord Impaler realized what was about to happen.

"Tch!"

Vlad leaped a fair distance away from Berserker before stabbing his spear into the earth.

There, thousands of spears and stakes rose from the ground and quickly formed a shield around the Servant of the Spear.

 ***BOOM***

* * *

"Tch, so they've managed to reach us?"

Turning around, Julian frowned as he saw Jeanne, Arthur, and Mordred.

On cue, several Assassins manifested beside their Master who stood in front of the Greater Grail. The former trio raised their weapons, ready for combat should the situation escalate to that point.

"So you're the Master of Assassin?" Mordred commented as she looked over the young man. She had seen him earlier before when they first arrived at the castle. Even back then, she felt a rather nasty vibe coming from someone who looked rather ordinary. Perhaps it was the perpetual glare that he had that caused such a feeling.

Said look also made her feel half-tempted to just strike him down on the spot. But with Ruler here, she knew that she would have to wait as the latter wanted to speak first before taking any action, something that her father supported much to her chagrin.

"Master of Assassin, I ask that you stop what you're doing now!"

"And what exactly am I doing wrong?" Julian asked. "As far as I'm concerned, I am well within my rights to do as I please. After all, war has no rules."

"Even so, there's still a proper code of conduct one must conform themselves to in order to prevent even worse crimes from being committed." The young saint replied. "And by working together with the Rogue Servants, you have deemed yourself an enemy to the order of the Holy Grail War."

"Order of the Holy Grail War? Don't make me laugh." The young man scoffed as focused his attention back towards the grail and extended a hand towards it. "As much as I would like to discuss philosophy with a saint, I have more pressing issues to attend to."

"Bastard, don't treat us like we're nothing dammit!"

Clarent began glow with red lightning. Screw what Ruler was trying to do. As far as Mordred was concerned, the Assassin's Master was an enemy, and he dared to insult the group, specifically her, by turning his back on them. As such, he needed to die.

"Ah, wait!"

 ***THUMP***

Jeanne stopped in her tracks as she felt a strange sensation come over her. It felt familiar, and she was able to recognize it as such because she remembered first feeling it that night. As soon as she realized this, magical energy suddenly began to gather at the corner of the room, halting what Mordred was about to do due to wondering what was happening.

Julian saw said event and clicked his tongue.

"Hmph, so he decides to join now of all times?"

Within a brief second, light enveloped the room. As soon as it began to die down, a person now at the center of where the event had begun.

Said person was a tan-skinned young man with white hair. He wore black priest clothes together with a red cape, a cross hanging from his neck. A smirk was visible on his face as he gazed at Jeanne, the young saint herself widening her eyes in shock as she was able to identify him on the spot.

"I believe this is the first time we've actually met, hasn't it Ruler?" He said as Jeanne was still caught up in her thoughts.

Was this the true reason as to why she was summoned by the grail? If so, then perhaps this was the reason why she had been plagued with irregularities such as the need for a physical body. But right now, that wasn't what was really catching her attention at the moment, for it was something else as she gazed at Arthur and confirmed her thoughts.

"You're...!"

The white knight couldn't help but react in shock as well. Why wouldn't he? For at the moment, he was being confronted by the existence of someone who shouldn't be there.

"Oh, so you remember me?" Shirou spoke as the smiling look on his face was replaced with one of honest surprise. "I suppose that saves me the trouble of introducing myself to you again after all these years. Quite convenient wouldn't you agree, King of Knights?"

"But how is this even possible?! How could you have survived after all this time?!" Arthur demanded. If he was still alive, then where did that leave that abomination?!

"Call it a blessing I suppose. Perhaps God himself is on my side and wishes for me to succeed?"

"Wait a minute, what the hell is going on!?" Mordred spoke up. Now she was honestly confused. Just was the newcomer? And why did her father react with such shock? That said, the priest managed to set off a few alarms within her. There was something about him that seemed off for some reason, but she couldn't tell why.

Before she could get any further answers, Jeanne stepped forward with her sword drawn and aimed directly at the white-haired priest.

"Now I see, so you really are the Ruler-Class Servant from the last original grail war over sixty years ago."

Blinking several times, it took a good few moments before Ruler's statement about her father taking part in a past grail war had registered itself within Mordred's mind. The red knight then proceeded to stare back and forth between the men, realizing that it was true thanks to their expressions.

"Ah, I see Saber has told you about that has he?"

"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada..."

Jeanne quietly spoke out the name of the hero who led the failed Shimabara Rebellion. A teen genius who was revered by Japanese Catholics as a Saint, though the Church itself has yet to recognize the young hero as such.

"That is not a name I heard spoken in such a long time." Shirou stated in response. "It brings up both nostalgic and painful memories if I do say so myself."

"Now it all makes sense, no wonder what Ayaka said that time felt so familiar." Arthur muttered to himself. However, Shirou heard his and smiled at him.

"I see, so that girl really did tell you everything she knew." He said with a hand under his chin. "Let me guess, she thinks I'm going to use the grail to brainwash humanity, doesn't she? Don't misunderstand, I believe Ayaka was mistaken in her belief of what I seek from the grail."

The white knight merely narrowed his eyes as he began to glare at the white-haired hero. From just a brief exchange of words, and he could already tell that the man standing in front of him hadn't at all changed all that much after all these years.

If so, then Arthur already knew what to expect.

 _'Be careful around him Jeanne, he's not one to be taken lightly.'_ He warned the young saint, who merely nodded her head slightly at this. Deciding in wanting to know more, she began to speak.

"Then enlighten us. Just what exactly do desire from the grail?"

Shirou merely smirked at Jeanne's question. Taking a moment, he then replied.

"My desire is simple really. It's nothing more than the elimination of Angra Mainyu, the source of all evils in this world."

* * *

Just outside of the front courtyard, beyond the gate where the Black Faction stood there ground and defended the castle from the Red Faction a few nights before, stood a young girl with blonde hair. Walking towards it, she began to smile. Speaking her thoughts aloud to herself.

"Ehehehe~! Now then, I wonder where Saber is~?"

Wondering where her darling prince could be, Sajyou Manaka decided to explore for now.

Atop a cliff overlooking the castle, a strange looking creature that resembled a cross between a dog and rabbit came upon the battle. Its fur was white as snow, somewhat curly int its appearance, and tied around its neck was a red ribbon and a small blue capelet. It sat there quietly, having decided to observe the young girl as she made her way into the complex.

The night had just begun...

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so ends CH13. It's at least 6000 words shorter than the last one, but CH12 was basically two chapters for the price of one. I know that parts of this chapter will come off as rushed such as the fights between the factions, but I'm not one for overly long fight scenes between individuals, mostly because I'm not good enough to write long scenes and because I want to save said scenes for the later parts. If this chapter does come off as a jumbled mess, don't worry, I'll fix/improve on it as I always do in case some of you didn't notice that some of the previous chapters are being updated from time to time in their dialogue and text, which should result in a better flow for the story.

In regards to Medea in FMB. I've noticed that the former is actually not all that bad taking into account every entry about he throughout the franchise. Her actions in FSN being the result of her as a desperate person who really wanted her wish to come true. In FMB, she was summoned by a child who treats her far better than her dickhead master in FSN, and she has allies to make things easier for her. As a result, this version that I wrote is more friendly and cordial. It was the only conclusion I could come to.

For those who asked me questions last time, here's my answers to some. I said before I wouldn't be answering any more guest users, but you know what? I'm too much of nice guy to just up and ignore people, mostly when they pose questions that are actually worth answering.

 **Orpheus:** Named it **Magnus Bellum** because it stands for **Great (Magnus) War (Bellum)** in Latin. I didn't add Arjuna because I said before I didn't want to include any Servants who were introduced in Fate/Grand Order first specifically. Take a look at my roster of Servants, and you'll see that all of them were first introduced elsewhere. That said, considering that I'm pondering the idea of FGO-esque sequel to FMB, Arjuna's probably going to appear there since he and Karna face off in the American Chapter of FGO. Speaking of which, I will not be taking any requests nor suggestions for that fic because I don't take such things from guest users anymore. Sorry XP

Oh, and before I forget, remember that thing we talked about with Atalanta and the Argonauts? Atalanta actually did take part in the Argo Expedition. There are two versions of said story for her, one where she participated, and one where she didn't because Jason felt that having only a single woman aboard may cause tension. In Nasuverse, she took part in it and does know Medea and Heracles. And considering that Medea is in this one... you get the idea.

Anyway, that's it for now. Again, please read and review.


	14. Act II-14: Battle for the Grail II

_**AN: And here's CH14! Please review :D**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 14:**_

 _ **Battle for the Grail II**_

* * *

"Hah...!"

Heaving her scythe over her shoulders, Gray swung it horizontally as she destroyed several dragon tooth warriors.

As Lancer, Lancer of Black, and Saber of Black engaged the Rogue Faction Servants, the only form of support they had at the moment were Archer of Black and the Lancer-Class Servant that the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka commanded.

Darting forward, she used reinforcement on her legs, increasing her speed and agility as she cut down every foe who stood before her. Having been trained at a young age to learn how to fight by family members and instructors, her current opponents were nothing more than weed that needed trimming.

Speaking of family...

Her ancestor, King Arthur... she had once more missed an opportunity to speak with him. Well, it wasn't as though it was her fault. There was just too much going on for her to even have a moment with him. Perhaps, after the battle was over...

There were things she wanted to discuss with him, which was mostly small talk in her eyes. Little questions such as what was life like when he was alive. She could find out about it from reading books or the like, but hearing it from someone would be a different experience. And she grew hearing stories of her ancestor when she was growing up. As such, the inner child in her that adored said stories wanted to know more him.

Not to mention that there the matter of _that item_ to give him. It was a task that was handed down from generation to generation in her family ever since her ancestor's fall. Should any one of them ever encounter him, as far-fetched as it was, they were to give it to him as per the request of _that person_.

She wondered to herself, how would he react to it? He and that person didn't exactly part on the best of terms when they last saw each other. He may even reject it.

 ***THWACK***

An arrow quickly shot past her head, snapping Gray out of her thoughts as she looked behind her to see a the broken remains of yet another warrior. Looking to the source, she saw Archer of Black smiling at her before returning to supporting the others with his abilities.

"What's wrong Gray? You look distracted." Waver came up to the white-haired girl.

"Ah, it was nothing Master, just a few thoughts."

"Save those for later, we can't afford distractions right now." He sighed, looking at the battlefield that was the garden. Thanks to their enemy's numbers, their group had to split up between sections of the complex. Right now, it was only himself, Kairi, Gray, Reines, Ayaka, Caules, and Fiore. Gordes and Celenike had taken a few golems and homunculi to try and defend other parts of the castle. Darnic himself went on to support Lancer of Black.

Lancer of Red and the Rogue Lancer had taken their fight elsewhere from the garden, as did Saber of Black and the Rogue Rider. Right now, it was just them and the dragon-tooth warriors that were still present.

With the aid of her mystic code, Fiore was taking down enemies left and right, either by choosing to smack, stab, or blasting them away. Kairi noted that out of the Masters gathered right now, she was the most dangerous. If not for her inexperience that is.

"Can't let myself be outdone by a kid!"

He continued his assault as he kept shooting at every single enemy he could see. With the numbers they were facing, it was a viable tactic. Reloading his shotgun and handgun wasn't too much of a hassle. He brought enough spares, and the enemy bones could be used for ammo as well.

 ***BANG***

The mercenary smirked as he continuously blasted away each warrior with his shotgun. One shot was enough to take one down. He then reloaded and aimed at another.

"...!"

Several black feathers came out from behind the mercenary and took down several warriors. Much to his surprise, he looked to see that the Tohsaka girl was the source of it.

"I can at least do this much, right...?" She said, readying another assault in her fingers. This wasn't the time to be scared. With her current allies, she should at least be able to do something for them, even if it was just a small act.

Caules gazed at the girl in surprise. Just now, she had been acting rather scared of everything that had been happening so far. Even now, one could see that her legs were shaking in fear, but the girl was willing to take action. He couldn't help but feel his masculine pride being broken down by the thought of a girl being braver than he was.

"That's the spirit!"

Lancer cried out as he landed beside his Master and smashed away incoming warriors from above. Grinning at the blonde-haired youth, he spoke.

"You should keep acting like little missy, it'll do you some real good like build your character."

"I knew you'd say that..."

 **"You are terminated."**

An explosion rang out all of a sudden as Waver looked towards the source.

There, Trimmau emerged from it unscathed. He had to ask himself just where in the nine levels of hell did such an explosion come from? He was pretty sure that Trimmau lacked any sort of ranged capabilities that could result in such a thing. Probably best not to dwell on it.

 _'Things are going well. How are the others doing?'_

* * *

"The elimination of Angra Mainyu...?"

Jeanne wasn't exactly educated in many of the world's many myths, but thanks to the information from the grail, she had a brief understanding of many topics known to man for the past few millenia.

Angra Mainyu, the Persian god of darkness, considered as the source of all evils in this world according to the religion of Zoroastrianism. Basically, if she had to compare it to Christianity, it was their equivalent of the devil Satan.

Personally, she didn't really believe in such folly. Even if there was one being who was the source of all evils in the world, it was up to people themselves as to whether or not they'd allow themselves to fall to the temptations of sin or rise above it.

If Shirou's wish was for the elimination of it, just what in the world did that entail?

"If that's really the case, if you truly wish for something benevolent, then why is that you felt the need to confirm my death?"

"Because I could not take chances with you around." Shirou replied, still smiling. "After all, in order to obtain something of great value, one must sacrifice something equal in return. Isn't that one of the fundamental rules that magi live by?"

"Unfortunately, I'm no magus so I wouldn't know of it." Jeanne replied, somewhat deadpan. "And when you say sacrifice something equal, what do you mean by that?"

"It is what I said." The young man stated. "People and the world... although they constantly experience change through time, they are instinctively afraid of it as well. They wonder to themselves if change can bring good to the world or ruin it. As such, they try to control it. Arrogance, only god decide such things. When humans try to control change, it will always inevitably leads to ruin."

"And what does that make you?"

Arthur already knew what the white-haired priest was going to say, but decided to ask anyway. While doing this, he eyed his surroundings, keeping tabs on Assassin and the boy that served as their Master. While his comrade was speaking, Julian was doing something to the grail.

"A messenger, here to ensure that his work be done. With the power of the grail, I can use it fully deliver the salvation that many people throughout time have desired but never received. A world without suffering, where no man, woman, nor child will have to suffer again. Wouldn't that be glorious?"

The young saint had to admit, such an idea was wonderful to imagine. While there was doubt in her mind, she felt that Shirou was speaking to them in complete honesty, both the way he spoke and the look in his eyes proved it. There was no hint of hesitation, no hint of deceit. His goal truly was to save humanity, that much she could agree on if someone asked her opinion on the man. No wonder Ayaka had said so herself as well.

She also noted that said goal reminded her a bit about a certain someone, gazing at said person for a moment. Though the scale was different, at the core there were similarities in their respective wishes.

On the other hand, Arthur shook his head as began glaring at the young man. He could care less about what his goals were, he had heard it all before. Right now, there was only one thing at the forefront of his mind. And with that, he stepped forward and raised Excalibur, pointing it the white-haired priest.

"You didn't answer my Master's question. I'll say it once: why did you order for her assassination?"

There was righteous fury in Arthur's eyes, it was something Mordred hadn't seen in a good while, even during their battle together at Camlann. It was enough to tell her that her father was truly angry at the boy who had been speaking with them up until now.

"Like I said earlier, people fear change. " Shirou began. "My plan requires taking a heavy risk, but should I succeed, then the method would be more than acceptable. Imagined that the grail knew of what I intended, and summoned Ruler to intervene. As such, she needed to be taken care of."

"I see." Arthur nodded in response. "Now with that out of the way..."

 ***SLASH***

Shirou quickly leaped out of the way as Arthur closed the distance between the two of them and swung his sword. Such an act caused everyone else to ready themselves.

"Oh my, it seems that you're much quicker to anger since our last encounter King of Knights." The former said as he smiled at said person.

"When my Master's life is threatened, I'll immediately take action." The blonde stated.

"Really? Because I recall your last Master begged to differ."

Arthur froze up at this, catching the other two's attention, before snapping out of it as his glare hardened.

"Wait, what does he mean by that?" Jeanne asked, noticing the disturbed look on her friend's face.

"It's nothing... I'll explain everything later." Arthur replied, with the young saint noticing the somewhat strained tone the white knight was speaking in.

"Now I wouldn't really call it nothing." Shirou stated as he began smirking. "After all, you did betray that girl and kill her yourself."

Wait... what?!

At that moment, Jeanne stared at Arthur in shock. Was it really true? She saw the look on his face, an expression that was between anger and regret, and that was all that was needed for the young saint to confirm that what Shirou had just said was indeed the truth.

Arthur had betrayed his previous Master? Then that meant he lied to her back then?

Mordred could herself hardly believe it either. Perhaps she wasn't one to speak, but just what in the world could have driven her father to perform such an act?

"Indeed, it's true that I betrayed my previous Master..." He confirmed, closing his eyes. "...and in doing so, I have shamed myself as a Knight. But,"

Arthur's eyes snapped open once more, this time filled with a steely gaze within them.

"If it mean protecting this world from the abomination that slept within the Holy Grail, then I'll gladly do it again! Once this body of mine expires, let whatever gods and higher beings judge my soul afterwards."

"Wait, abomination...?"

Jeanne muttered the phrase to herself. Just what in the world was Arthur talking about now?

"Hahaha... I suppose we should leave it at this for now." Shirou stated as he turned to Julian. "Are we ready?"

"I was waiting for you to stop your incessant babbling." The black-haired youth replied in disdainful tone. "You shouldn't waste time on fools who are unable to comprehend what we're trying to do here. It's an exercise in futility."

"Perhaps, but it doesn't hurt to try now does it?" The white-haired priest stated in response. "And you didn't exactly answer my question."

"I'm not finished yet, that bastard Darnic has placed quite a number of security measures here. I'm only half-way through at the moment, and they're getting harder and harder with each seal I break. We won't be going anywhere until then."

"I see. Very well, I'll handle these three together with Assassin."

"Tch, you think you can take us on?!"

Mordred leaped into the fray, Clarent at the ready.

 ***CLANG***

Her attack was quickly intercepted by two of Assassin's personas, one of whom was a bald male and the other a female with long dark violet hair verging on blue. Both wielded weapons much different from the other personas they had encountered thus far, said weapons looking somewhat more intricate and sturdy than the dirks common to the Assassin-Class.

"...!"

A third came swinging a weapon at Mordred's head, forcing the red knight to leap back to her father's side. As soon as she did, the group noticed that the other Assassins in the room suddenly began manifesting the same type of weapons as their two brethren currently wielded.

Stepping forward, a katana appeared in Shirou's right hand while three blades were squeezed in between the fingers of his left.

"Come then King of Knights, Ruler, Saber of Red." He stated with a smile. "Let us pass the time together shall we?"

Narrowing her eyes, Jeanne realized that fighting was the only way out now. As such, she cried out.

"Arthur, Mordred, on me!"

* * *

"Finally..."

After having made sure that there no security measures that could stop him, one of the Assassin personas stepped into the workshop of the Caster and Roche.

Behind a wall, a passage opened up to reveal an addition section of the area. In it where several large glass pods, each of which revealed to contain a homunculus within. All except one that is, as said subject was asleep upon the operation table within the middle of the room.

His task right had been to eliminate them all, as doing so would've cut the power of the Black Faction Servants in half.

Assassin found it to be an ingenious tactic, using several homunculi as living batteries for the Servants so that their Masters could operate at full power. That said, it was also a crutch, one that he and his allies would now exploit. With Caster too busy dealing with his brethren, now was his chance to make a move.

Taking out his dagger, the Servant of the Shadows decided to begin with his task, starting with the one in the middle of the room.

"...!"

Just as he was about to plunge the dagger deep into his chest, a hand grabbed his own as he stared deeply into blood-red eyes glaring at him as mana suddenly began to coalesce from within Sieg's body.

"My life is not yours to take...!"

Sieg opened his mouth and roared.

* * *

"That looks like the last of them...!"

Somewhere within the castle, both Gordes and Celenike stood together amidst the remains of a bunch of dragon-tooth warriors. Accompanying the two were a bunch of homunculi armed with weapons and a few golems.

"Celenike, do you know how Rider is doing right now?" The former asked.

"Fine all things considered. He's engaging one of the enemy's Archer-Class Servants." The gray-haired woman replied as he dusted herself. Once this battle was over, she'd need to get something to drink. And perhaps get one of her homunculi servants to entertain her...

Seeing that there weren't any enemies left

"Come, we should-"

"Master watch out!"

A homunculus quickly leaped right in front of Gordes as a dagger struck her in the head, instantly killing her. The two magi quickly went on alert as they recognized the tool responsible to be a dirk, Assassin of Black's weapon of choice.

"Call Saber here quick!"

Gordes didn't need to be told that twice as he called out to his Servant and Celenike to Rider.

* * *

Leaping back after another clash of their two weapons, Siegfried eyed his opponent carefully.

Rider was very much a skilled fighter. So far they were in a stalemate, but that could change with but a single moment, and that would be all that would be needed to determine the victor between the two. He contemplated using Balmung, but he needed to make sure that Rider didn't had anything that could be used as a counterattack.

Before he could think on the matter any longer, the Servant of the Sword felt a pulsing sensation from within himself.

"T-This is...!"

As much as he wanted to take care of Rider first, his Master was in danger. Quickly, the Servant of the Sword disappeared in a flash.

"Hmm... I'll admit, that's rather disappointing."

Deciding to sit down, Perseus removed his mask as he sighed to himself.

Well, his job was to merely help stall their enemies until their leader and that boy Julian finished up with what they were doing down below. Saber disappearing meant that either they were finished and had moved on to phase two, or that they were found out and being engaged by the enemy.

Perseus wondered if he should go and check. He wasn't really fond of the others in the Rogue Faction, perhaps with the exception of Lancer and the Chaste Huntress. And so far, he hadn't received any orders yet. As such, he might as well sit and enjoy the view for now.

Up above, the battle in the skies continued to rage on between Archer of Red and Berserker. Aside from those two, the fortress was busy being assaulted by the combined might of the King of Conquerors, Rider of Black, and Berserker of Black, with his two allies Atalanta and Robin Hood keeping them at bay with a barrage of arrows.

"I wonder, what would you think of this... Master?"

His eyes wondered, having decided to observe the other battle going on in the skies...

* * *

Flying at speeds impossible for normal humans to keep up with on a visual basis, Gilgamesh and Lancelot continued their duel as the former chased the latter in the sky.

After more than a few clashes, the latter's jet was slowly beginning to break down. Seeing this, the former merely clicked his tongue.

"Hmph, as expected."

Whatever ability the Black Knight had, it allowed him to utilize anything as a weapon. It was the main reason why he was able to take hold of the weapons shot out from the treasury of the Golden King.

However, they had one weakness. In utilizing an object as a weapon, the Black Knight's ability also increases the capabilities of the whatever he wielded. But in doing so, it resulted in the weapon becoming more fragile as well since some things were not meant to be pushed beyond a certain threshold. It was the main reason why the fighter jet that Berserker had been flying suddenly began to break down. It could not withstand prolonged use under the Black Knight, even as a vehicle made for combat.

For Gilgamesh, this was rather disappointing. He had wanted their battle to last a little bit longer as Berserker had proven himself, being more than just a mere mongrel who attempted to steal his treasures and use them against him. Alas, it could not happen.

"Perhaps it is time to finish this." The Golden King stated as he uncrossed his arms. "Hmm?"

He saw the jet suddenly going faster, enough to put a significant distance between the two Servants. Not long afterwards did the Harrier made a full on one-eighty degree turn, resulting in Berserker being put on path face-to-face with the Golden King.

"Hahaha! I see, head on. Very well!"

Increasing speed, Gilgamesh charged as ten portals of light appeared beside Vimana.

As soon the distance between the two reached an appropriate measure, Berserker unleashed one final salvo of missiles aimed towards his opponent.

"As if such tactics would work against me!"

Explosions rang out as his treasures intercepted the missiles. Smirking, he knew that it was the last batch Berserker had before he ran out of ammunition. The only thing he had left now were the guns attached onto the plane itself, and he could easily counter said armaments.

Such were his thoughts however...

What he hadn't realized was that Berserker's plane had one last armament he could use aside from the guns. Though his thoughts were clouded with rage and insanity, he retained his martial prowess and some sense of tactics.

Taking care to not slip, the Servant of Madness leaned over into the cockpit, smashing it open to reveal a missile launcher. Having been placed there by Shirou in the event that the Black Knight would need it. Taking it out, he readied it as soon the missiles he launched made contact with Archer of Red's weapons.

"What...!?"

As soon as the smoke cleared, and the distance between the two now far closer, Gilgamesh saw the weapon in Berserker's hands.

"RAAAAAAGH!"

Before he had time to react, Berserker fired the missile.

 ***BOOM***

Making contact, Vimana was engulfed in smoke and flames just as Berserker was about fly by it.

"NOT YET!"

Suddenly, the roar of an engine echoed throughout the sky as Gilgamesh emerged from the flames riding a golden motorcycle. Had he been sane, Berserker would have been incredibly taken aback by it.

 ***BAM***

"...!"

The front wheel made contact with the Berserker's helmeted head, causing the Black Knight to be sent flying thanks to the sheer force of the impact. The Harrier that he flew lost its blackened aura and soon began to disintegrate as it and the Golden King began to fall out from the sky.

Using his wit, Gilgamesh summoned a rather lengthy chain, using it to form a makeshift net sustained by the Gate of Babylon beneath him as he fell upon it.

"Heh, you have once again served me well, my friend."

A road of chains soon formed, the Golden King riding down it as headed back towards the center of battle.

* * *

"You annoying little pigs!"

Elizabeth zipped past enemy forces as she continued to strike down any came within range. By now, she was starting to get tired at dealing with so many, especially with Rider having been summoned back by his hag of a Master. She and Rider of Red would need to do something soon, and fast.

"...!"

A thought popped up in her mind. Of course! She could always do that!

"Alright then~! It's time for the star to take front and center~!"

Spinning her weapon above her head, a magic circle suddenly appeared beneath the Servant of Madness as she landed neatly on it, to which the pinkette now stood on thin air.

"Hmm? What's this...?"

At that moment, Iskander felt a strange sensation going through his body. He scanned the area, and quickly saw what Berserker of Black was doing.

"I see, so she's planning on utilizing her Noble Phantasm."

Curious to see what would happen, the King of Conquerors decided to pull back for now as to not get in the way of what Berserker was about to unleash.

Elizabeth smiled as she saw this. Now she had the stage all to herself.

Smashing the spear blade into the center of the circle, a pulse rang out as suddenly the pieces of what appeared to be a castle rose from the red light being emitted by the magic circle the Servant of Madness stood on. On closer inspection, one would notice that they had what appeared to be built-in loudspeakers...

"I won't let you!"

Taking point, Atalanta aimed bow directly at the Servant of Madness, mana beginning to surge within the Chaste Huntress as she held two arrows at bay. If Berserker was about to use her Noble Phantasm, then it was only appropriate that the she would return to favor as well.

"Pay attention now~!"

Taking a deep breath, mana began to surge from the dragon-blooded child. On instinct, the remaining enemy forces in the sky all flew towards her.

 ** _"PHOEBUS CATASTROPHE!"_**

The Chaste Huntress released both arrows in her hand And with that, a sudden hail of arrows appeared from the sky in a downpour directly aimed at the Servant of Madness.

 _ **"BATHORY ERZSEBET~!"**_

Unleashing a bellow akin to a dragon's roar, the sonic attack completely blew away and destroyed all opponents within its range. It was an attack that completely outclassed the multitude of warriors that filled the skies.

The sonic blast also knocked away the hail of arrows aimed at the pink-haired Servant, and continued to make its way directly towards the fortress.

"...!?"

Atalanta quickly hid behind a pillar and covered her ears as the attack surged throughout the complex. For someone like her, whose hearing was more enhanced compared to a human being, it would've proven quite deadly even at the distance they were at.

"Hahaha! Now that girl has one powerful set of lungs!" The King of Conquerors grinned at the pink-haired Servant as he came up beside her. "Berserker, would you care to join my army once this is all over? Someone like you would be a welcome addition!"

"Can I hold a concert every now and then~?" The girl asked.

"Of course!" The red-haired man replied.

"Hmm~" Elizabeth crossed her arms. "I'll think about it for now."

Looking back towards the fortress, the two noticed that they now had a path open towards it. Berserker's attack had eliminated what was left of their aerial forces, but it didn't seem to affect the building itself.

"Should we go in?"

"As much as I would like to, we don't know yet the full capabilities of our enemy." Iskander replied. "Perhaps if our friend the paladin hadn't left us, we could, but I still don't like our chances. At least not until we have more of our allies with us."

He once again contemplated using his Noble Phantasm here, but decided against it. While his army could certainly help deal with individual soldiers and the like, they were still going up against someone who had control over a flying fortress of all things.

As the two Servants floated in the sky, several dozen spheres of light began to manifest around the fortress.

"Ah, it looks like that thing is about to attack again."

"Oh? Then I suppose we should get out of the way now."

* * *

Feeling a strange sensation overriding his thoughts, Caules realized that Berserker had just used her Noble Phantasm.

Looking up, he saw it. Much like Berserker herself, it was an absurd construct. Just what kind of castle included built-in loudspeakers in the walls?!

"Well, maybe hers..." He chuckled to himself.

Soon enough, thanks to the Servant of Madness' attack, the enemy numbers began to dwindle in the sky. And as for their ground forces, things were about to wrap us well. That said, it was as though the Rogue Faction decided to pull some of them back.

Seeing this, Waver couldn't help but think that something wrong was going on. That said, he didn't have much time to dwell as he someone called out to him.

"What do we do now?"

Kairi came up as he reloaded his guns together with Fiore, Gray, and the others.

"I'm going to check on both Gordes and Celenike." Waver replied before he began issuing commands. "Shishigou, you're with me. The rest of you, stick together and don't do anything rash. Lancer, you can take care of them can't you?"

"Hey, don't be insulting me."

Saying that, Lancer casually approached the group as he destroyed another warrior with a smirk on his face.

"I can't be much of a Heroic Spirit if I can't even do something as simple as that." He said. "Just leave the kids to me."

Honestly, Lancer would have preferred taking on any of the Rogue Servants. But when it came down to it, he was Ayaka's Servant. As such, his first order of business was to make sure that she was safe at all times. Adding a few more to the list didn't really bother him all that much.

Said statement also got a mild reaction out of said kids, most especially Reines as the youngest one in the group.

"Heh, I'm counting on you Lancer."

"Hey kid!"

Hearing the mercenary calling out to him, Caules looked up in surprise when he saw a handgun suddenly being thrown right at him. The young man panicked as he tried to get a proper grasp of it, sighing in relief once he did so. Afterwards, he began glaring at the older man.

"Watch it will you!? A gun can go off if you throw it like that!"

"Hah!" Kairi merely laughed. "Anyway, keep that on you. Right now, you're the only one without something to defend yourself with right?"

Caules wanted to rebuke that statement, but he knew it was true.

Looking down on the gun, Caules saw that it was a Beretta M9, slightly modified from its original appearance. He immediately knew its name because he saw it once in a gun magazine he decided to buy on a whim one time. The benefits of being a modernized citizen of the world.

"Be sure to aim carefully when you're about to shoot. The thing packs a bigger punch than normal guns thanks to a few upgrades I made to it."

"R-Right." Caules nodded in response. This was the first time he held a gun in his hands. It had a certain weight on it that he couldn't really describe.

"Let's not delay any longer." Waver stated.

"Lead the way." Kairi responded.

And with that, the two adults quickly left the area.

* * *

 ***THWACK***

Taking care not to miss, Chiron continued to shoot down the remaining dragon-tooth warriors that flew right above the castle.

Gritting his teeth, he held his right arm for a moment.

"An injured arm? I suppose that would make things easier then."

Turning around in a split second, the Servant of the Bow released another arrow aimed at the source of the voice.

Said voice belonged to none other than the Rogue Rider, the masked Servant slightly adjusting his head as the arrow flew past it. Accompanying him were over twenty Assassin personas, each wielding a weapon that didn't look like it belonged to them as part of their standard arsenal. He was wondering to himself just when Assassin of Black would try to eliminate him, their betrayal having been revealed by Caster. After all, with his injury, there was a higher chance of them succeeding.

As for the former, there was strange sense of familiarity present when Chiron first laid his eyes upon the masked Servant during his arrival on the scene earlier, but he wasn't able to make a deal out of it.

"The wise and great teacher Chiron." He began. "As unfortunate as it is, I have been ordered to eliminate you."

"Yet clearly you decided to show yourself first instead of striking with my back turned." The bowman replied. "Is it honor or pride that drove you to that? And judging from the way you speak to me, you're not just someone who has heard of my name, but rather you know me."

Indeed, there was a sense of formality when Rider spoke to the green-haired archer. It wasn't just him being courteous, but something else entirely. That much Chiron could tell.

"Perceptive... I expected as much from you."

Placing a hand on his mask, he removed it together with his black cloak, revealing himself to Chiron who blinked in surprise and shock.

"It's been too long, my old master."

"You are... Perseus." He said as the said person merely smiled.

How long had it been since he laid his eyes upon the eyes of the youth, whose own sense of brashness eventually resulted in him venturing to the island of the gorgons to prove himself despite his training being incomplete at the time? And despite those flaws, eventually overcame the gorgon and became a great hero?

As expected, he looked older than when he last saw him. He noted that Perseus' voice sounded strange earlier, and Chiron attributed that to the mask his pupil had worn. After removing it, he returned to sounding like the young man he had taught millenia ago.

However, when Chiron gazed into his former pupil's eyes once more, he no longer saw the eyes of the heroic youth, but a haunted soul who was but a shell of his former self. Just what in the world had happened to him?

"Perseus, just what in the world...?"

The green-haired archer began but was cut off when Perseus raised a hand.

"Let's not make this more difficult than it already is." He replied, raising Harpe. "I am here to kill you. Nothing more, nothing less."

Pausing for a moment, Chiron merely shook his head. Smiling as he readied himself for the coming conflict.

"You've grown haven't you?"

He said in reply, not expecting an answer. Indeed, there wasn't any point in asking his former student about anything else. Right now, the two were simply warriors, Servants, who were fighting for the ultimate prize. Still, Chiron couldn't help but admit that it made him feel a bit lonely...

"Very well then. Come Perseus, I'll take you and your companions on at the same time."

* * *

Having moved the site of their battle away from the castle, two heroes found themselves fighting in the nearby forest.

"Hahaha! Is that the best you got?!"

"...!"

 ***CLANG***

Parrying the incoming strike with his shield, Karna's spear merely bounced off from it as Achilles quickly went on the offensive once more.

Five straight thrusts, all aimed at his vital spots. The armor given to Karna by his father protected him with ease from Lancer of Red's spear. As far as he could tell, it was a weapon that held no special attributes other being a finely crafted one. A reliable weapon for a great warrior such as the man he was currently fighting.

 ***CLANG* *CLANG***

Two strikes, one parried by Achilles' spear and the other once again with his shield.

Karna quickly found himself evenly matched with his current opponent. Through the combination of both the latter's shield and sheer speed alone, most of Karna's attacks were being parried by the warrior. Karna had seen the shield being used in tandem together with Ruler's own Noble Phantasm earlier. Whatever it was, it was quite strong as even with one of his stronger attacks,

Charging forward with a burst of flames, Karna swung his spear downwards as Achilles dodged to the side, the attack swiftly creating a small crater. Not done yet, the white-haired Servant swung it once more to the side, his foe quickly spun around in a leap before it hit him.

 ***BAM***

As soon as he landed, Achilles found a golden armored foot smacking him right in the face. An action that resulted in the Hero of Troy being sent crashing through a few trees. Looking closely, he saw the warrior on the ground hunched over. It was only for a moment however as Achilles quickly rose his head with a large grin on his face.

Standing up, his spear de-materialized as he took hold of his shield before throwing it right at the white-haired Servant.

Seeing the incoming projectile, Karna prepared himself to intercept but was taken aback when it suddenly disappeared...

...Just as its owner closed the distance between the two.

Reacting as he fast as he could, Karna shifted his spear forward for a stab, missing by a few inches as the Hero of Troy grabbed his spear by the handle.

"Let's have a chat shall we?"

Pulling him close, Achilles clenched his fist and sent a right hook landing clean on Karna's face. Unfazed by this, the Invincible Hero returned the favor. Both then began to trade to blows with one another, at speeds that could be described as only be described as lightning fast.

"Haha! Real heroes should talk with their fists!"

"Is that so? Then I suppose we can also kill with a stare."

Before he could even ask what that meant, Achilles felt a strong surge of mana gathering. He quickly realized that his opponent was about to utilize his Noble Phantasm.

Karna's right began eyes glowing brightly, turning his attention completely onto his foe. At this range, there was only a minimal chance of him missing.

"Ah shit-!"

 _ **"BRAHMASTRA!"**_

* * *

"Hehe~!"

Watching the huge explosion occur on the side of the mountain, Manaka smiled as she sat atop one of the buildings of the castle, wondering to herself as to what would have caused such a beautiful scene.

Currently, the young blonde decided to take a break from trying to find Saber as she found the current battle a bit too interesting to miss. After all, even if she did take a break, it didn't mean she would miss her chance of finding her Prince didn't it?

Looking down, she observed that battle that was happening right now. She passed by it earlier when she first entered the premises, but found herself a bit distracted with everything that was going on to care. It was obvious to her that Lancer was going to win the fight, he just had that many advantages over Berserker.

That said, her interest was once again piqued when she saw Lancer's Master arrive in order to support him.

She then quickly realized that he was someone she had met a long time ago. And just like her, he hadn't aged at all for the past sixty years. She actually found it a little creepy that he would look so young despite being human.

Of course, in Manaka's view, she was an exception to this since she was a girl.

"Hmm~" Her smile suddenly began to widen. "Perhaps I should say hello~?"

* * *

"Rrrrngh...!"

Trapped in place by a dozen spears and stakes impaling him, Berserker of Red growled at Lancer of Black who casually walked right in front of him.

The courtyard was now in complete disarray, scorch marks, remnants of broken spears, and craters filling it. That said, Vlad himself was only midly scratched up from their battle with one another. The Berserker-Class truly were ferocious heroes.

"You are truly a magnificent warrior Berserker." He praised the Servant of Madness with a smile. "It's quite a shame that you've been driven to such a state. If not, then perhaps the two of us could have had a more exciting battle. One befitting our status as a heroes of a bygone era."

Summoning his own personal lance, Vlad stood right in front of Berserker.

"Perhaps another time then."

Thrusting his spear forward, he impaled the Servant of Madness right through his heart. And with said act, he also destroyed the class-card serving as Berserker's spiritual core.

Soon afterwards, the mad Servant began to dissipate back into nothingness. Raising his head, his sanity returned, the red-haired warrior spoke for both the first and last time.

"I am Lu Bu... Remember my name, Lancer."

This wasn't really a bad end. Although he lost, he had quite an entertaining time. The last time he had felt such fun was when he had fought against the three sworn brothers, but he had to cut that short due to circumstances. This time though, it didn't. And though his pride would've normally gone against it, dying at Lancer's hands didn't really trouble him in the slightest. In the end, a warrior's death was the highest honor that someone like him could receive, and Lancer gave it to him.

With that, one of the mightiest warriors of China disappeared from the world, a satisfied grin on his face. The only thing remained were the pieces of the class-card Vlad had destroyed.

Having watched the entire scene from the sidelines, Darnic stepped forward and called out to Lancer.

"Is everything well?"

"Yes, though I find myself needing to take a moment." Vlad admitted. "I take it you're disappointed at the fact that I destroyed that card of his?"

"Somewhat." Darnic admitted as he crossed his arms. "We could've taken his card and studied it, used it for our own purposes... But I suppose it couldn't be helped, at least not with Rogue Faction still running amok."

"Indeed, we cannot risk it yet." Vlad replied with a nod. It was the reason he decided to go right ahead and destroy the card after all. "Now then, with our task done here. Let's go and support Ruler. So far the Grail is still there correct?"

"Yes, having Caster create those seals on it have truly benefited us." Darnic replied. "If not, I believe that the grail would have already been taken by now."

"Oh? You're leaving already~?"

Just as the two were about to leave the area, the voice called out to the two.

Turning around, both saw a young blonde-haired girl, most likely around her early teens, walking up to them with a smile on her face. The most unusual fact about her was that she wore a bloodstained blue-dress opened up slightly to reveal what appeared to be...

"A Command Spell...?" Vlad wondered aloud. What was strange about the Command Spell on the girl's chest was that it was black in color. As far as he knew, Command Spells were always red in color. That's what the grail provided him with, and so far each master in the grail war did indeed share the same color.

Add to the rather serene smile that the girl had, there was something about her that made Vlad wary, but he couldn't tell why...

Looking towards his Master, the Servant of Spear could only gaze at him in surprise as he saw his Darnic's expression.

"Impossible...! You're...!"

The blue-haired man could only widen his eyes in shock. But that was impossible! How could she be here?! Last he had known, she had died towards the end of the Holy Grail War sixty years ago. He did some investigation some time after said war, and her sister was confirmed to be an orphan and last remaining member of their family after the conflict. Did he miss something!?

"It's been a while hasn't it?" The girl greeted. "You're looking well. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where Saber is do you~?"

"Saber?" Vlad muttered in confusion. Just who was she referring to? He highly suspected that it was the King of Knights that the girl was talking about though...

"Hmm~ Judging from your expression, I say you do know." The young blonde stated as her smile widened. "You don't mind telling me where he is right~?"

"Lancer!" Darnic quickly called out as he raised his hand. "By the power of my Command Spell, I order you to eliminate this girl at once!"

"What?!"

That was all Vlad could say as his body began to move on its own, the power of the Command Spell overriding his sense of self-control as he summoned his weapon.

Stabbing his spear into the ground, thousands of stakes rose from it as they all aimed themselves right at the young girl, who was quickly enveloped within a pyramid of them. Seeing this, Darnic relaxed himself. Even she couldn't have survived that in one piece.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Vlad demanded as he glared in anger at his Master. "You would dare waste a Command Spell for such a-!"

"No, trust me when I say this." Darnic began in reply. "That girl... she isn't someone that can be allowed to live. She's just too dangerous."

"Well that's a bit mean~ I haven't even done anything yet."

Both men quickly went on the alert as they heard the voice of the girl call out from within the pyramid of spears and stakes.

Within the next few moments, it was quickly destroyed, revealing the young blonde smiling at them.

Behind her stood a large behemoth of a man. Dark skin and wild barbarian hair, a muscular entity that would have put to shame the most physically fit man in the current world. He wore little armor, mostly on his waist, wrists, and legs. His torso and right arm wrapped in slightly in chain, with a lion's head accessory on the former, and red markings on his body. In addition, the black giant wielded a large golden axe of simple yet intricate design.

"Berserker...?!"

Vlad was in shock, albeit for different reasons. Just who in the world was this girl?! For her to command a Servant, whose presence and appearance alone told him that he was a very powerful warrior and under the Berserker-Class no less... it should've been impossible! Wait, could it be that she was part of the Rogue Faction?! That was the first thing that quickly came to mind.

On the other hand, Darnic himself was in shock for another reason entirely...

"He was your Servant from before right?" The girl asked, revealing a rather surprising piece of information for the Servant of the Spear. "Maybe the two of you should have a little reunion?"

Turning around to look at the giant, Manaka continued to smile as she called out to him.

"Go ahead Berserker, you can go play with your old Master for a while~!"

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Letting out a mighty roar, Berserker charged.

* * *

"What was that...?"

Still remaining within the gardens after Waver and Kairi left them, Caules muttered to himself in wonder as to what could possibly create such a disturbing noise.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling." Fiore said as she closed her eyes for a good few moments before snapping them open once more. "Caules, you stay right here with the rest, I'm going to go find Archer. I'm worried about him."

"You sure that's a good idea? I mean with everything that's going on..."

"I'll be fine, I know my around the castle after all." Fiore smiled at her younger brother, finding it sweet that he was worried about her. "I'll be careful, and I feel Archer close by anyway, so I shouldn't run into too much trouble."

"How about we all just go together?" Lancer suggested, walking towards the sibling duo. "Besides, it's better than just standing here doing nothing."

"Is it alright with the rest of you?"

"I have no complaints." Reines replied, as did Ayaka and Gray. There no point in asking Caules as he was going with her no matter what, Fiore knew him well enough that he would do such a thing with or without her permission.

"Very well, let's go together.

* * *

 ***CLANG***

Their swords clashing against each other, the two Rulers stared each other down when suddenly an overwhelming sensation clouded both their senses. Both momentarily halted their battle as they raised their heads, wondering to themselves as to what it was they were feeling.

"T-This is...!"

"But it couldn't be...!"

Rather, they already knew it. It was more of a matter of questioning how it was possible. If not for the surprised look on Shirou's face as well, Jeanne would have assumed that it was the doing of his group, but clearly it wasn't the case.

They weren't the only ones, Arthur, Mordred, and the Assassins stopped what they were doing as well as they too felt the overwhelming sensation. The former in particular looked felt that said sensation he was feeling was actually familiar to him.

 _'It can't be...?'_

"Kotomine!"

Julian suddenly called out, catching everyone's attention. In front of him, the greater grail suddenly began glowing brightly.

"We're done here, ready your Servant for the package!"

Shirou nodded as he called out to Assassin of Red.

* * *

"...!?"

Semiramis felt a shiver go down her spine. Something had just happened down below at the castle, and she intended to find out what.

"What has happened O Queen of Assyria?"

Entering the room, Caster of Red appeared together with one other individual. A young red-haired girl, wearing clothes akin to the gothic-lolita fashion.

"Don't bother me, I don't have time for your nonsense." The raven-haired beauty curtly replied. Caster alone was a headache to deal with, especially when he began to rave on about his stories. But add the girl as well...

"Hey lady, mind telling me where your Master is?" The girl wearing the gothic-lolita dress demanded before she suddenly began smirking. "Don't tell me he finally decided to run away with his tail between his legs? What a lame guy he is~ I knew Lord Julian was mistaken in deciding to work that bastard."

"You do realize that by saying he was mistaken, you're indirectly calling your Lord Julian a fool as well."

"Wha-?!" The Assyrian Queen smiled in delight as she saw the girl's panicked expression.

"That's enough Beatrice."

A voice called out, and entering the room was a young woman with blonde hair and a rather curvaceous figure dressed in a white blouse and long skirt. Her hair had been done up in long twin tails. She had a serious expression on her face, showing that she was a no nonsense person.

"Angelica..." Beatrice muttered as she frowned at her.

"Lord Amakusa has taken it upon himself to aid our Lord as they extract the grail together. Insulting him as you do serves no purpose other than to make you look like a fool." Angelica revealed and then reprimanded the girl.

"Yeah, yeah..." The latter merely turned away in a huff and clicking her tongue.

Sighing at this, Angelica turned to face Semiramis.

"Back to the matter at hand," She began. "Did something happen?"

"I was about to check when you lot interrupted me." The raven-haired beauty replied as she began to gaze into her crystal ball, looking for answers for the strange feeling she had just received.

Her eyes quickly widened in shock as she what it was.

"There's a new Servant...!"

Said statement quickly got a reaction out of the others in the room, most especially Caster of Red who began to smile.

"Hmm~? What is this? A new character has taken to the stage?" Shakespeare said in delight. "Perhaps I should go out and observe this newcomer~!"

"Now that I think about it, just what the hell are you still doing here in the first place?! Aren't you a man?! Go down there and help the others!" Beatrice suddenly began to shout at the Servant of Magic, who merely laughed it off as he replied.

"Haha! I'm afraid that's not possible. For you see, I have no combat capability whatsoever! I'd be terribly useless if I were to enter the battle as I am now." He said, a jovial grin on his face. "Not surprising considering that I am a writer of course. My battlefield is the literary world!"

 _'So he admits to being useless...'_ The three women simultaneously thought.

At that moment, Semiramis felt her master calling out to her via telepathy.

 _"We're finished here Assassin, get ready to position the gardens directly above us!"_

 _"But of course~"_

The Assyrian Queen replied as she began smiling and looked towards the others in the room.

"Ready yourselves, those two boys are now finished." She said. "I'll call for the others to retreat. Considering that the newest addition to this battle is doing battle against Lancer of Black, we can leave the rest to their group."

Angelica and Beatrice nodded and left, while Shakespeare merely sighed in disappointment.

"Tis a shame we have to leave so soon. I would have liked to watch this scene to play out to its very end."

"Stop your complaining." The raven-haired beauty scolded.

* * *

"You lot aren't going anywhere until I say so!"

Swinging Clarent, Mordred easily knocked away the Assassin personas that surrounded her as she made her way towards the white-haired priest with her blade at the ready.

Seeing this, Shirou merely smirked as he intercepted her attack, using quick footwork to move around the red knight as she missed him, before using his knowledge of martial arts to push her back with two quick blows to the back using his elbow and foot.

Stumbling, Mordred gritted her teeth as she regained her footing as she spun around and swung at the young man.

Once again countering, Shirou used his katanas to intercept the red knight's attacks, their blades clashing against one another. An idea suddenly came to mind as the young man began smirking. Mordred didn't like said look and prepared herself.

"Compared to your father, you're a far easier opponent to deal with."

"Wha-!?"

That statement was enough for the Knight of Treachery to lose focus, and gave enough time for Shirou to punch her away with surprising strength, sending the red knight flying into a wall. But, just before she made impact...

"...!"

Mordred felt herself being caught by someone.

Looking behind her, she was surprised to see her father, who, after settling her down, began to glare directly at the white-haired priest, who himself began to speak after having witnessed what the white knight had just done.

"Showing fatherly affection are you?"

He got his answer in the form of Excalibur being swung at his head, an act which Shirou evaded as the white knight got into a stance.

"I'm your opponent." Arthur said, turning to look at Jeanne. "Master, I leave Assassin to you and Mordred. This is a fight I need to settle for myself."

Jeanne wanted to say something, but considering Arthur's history with Shirou, she conceded. There was the matter of what the latter had said about the former, as well as the new presence that she felt, but that could wait. Right now, they had to defend the grail.

"Mordred, can I count you?" The young saint asked as she and the other blonde stood back-to-back. More Assassins appeared within the room as they did so.

Hearing her question, the red knight merely smirked at Jeanne.

"Let's just cut the chit-chat and kill these bastards shall we?"

* * *

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

"Tch...!"

Summoning thousands upon thousands of spears and stakes, the Lord Impaler was currently fighting the hardest battle he had taken part in yet.

His actions were futile, as Berserker's quickly powered through the armaments as he came after the Servant of the Spear. Just one swing of his axe was enough to destroy them, and Vlad was sure that the Servant of Madness wasn't even trying and did it more as an afterthought.

Not only that, but for some reason his attacks could not penetrate Berserker's skin. Did he somehow have a defensive Noble Phantasm similar to Saber of Black? That would explain the trouble he was having right now.

"Darnic, what can you tell me about this mad beast!?"

While saying that, Vlad barely had enough time to dodge an incoming swing from Berserker's axe. For someone so large and muscular, the Servant of Madness was incredibly fast, far more so than Berserker of Red, and perhaps even above the others he had already seen in combat as well.

"Berserker..." Darnic was still in shock, still unable to believe that his former Servant was now doing battle against his current one.

Snapping out of it, he replied to Lancer's question.

"Be wary milord! For the one you face is none other than the Greek hero Heracles!" He revealed much to Vlad's shock and surprise.

"You have got to be joking!" The latter exclaimed incredulously as he countered, albeit with effort, a heavy strike from the mad Servant.

"Ahahaha~! Of course he's not joking, he was his former Master after all~" Manaka laughed like the young girl that she was. Currently, the young blonde was seated atop a large piece of debris that came from the previous battle. "Oh, and you better think of something quick. Heracles has a Noble Phantasm that makes him immune to anything below A-Rank attacks, and that's not even getting into the rest."

While saying that, Heracles' axe was trapped in place when Vlad summoned several dozen stakes to bind him temporarily. Seeing a chance, he aimed a bunch directly at the mad Servant's mouth.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Another futile effort, as the Greek Hero bit down hard and destroyed them. Afterwards, he freed himself from the binding as he sent the Servant of the Spear flying into a wall.

Standing up, Vlad held his arm as it began to ache. Even with all his bonuses, it looked like it was all for nothing when faced with the mightiest warrior in all of Greece. The son of Zeus truly was a formidable foe.

That said, Lancer could not accept his opponent for a single reason.

"As if I could lose to the so-called son of a pagan god!"

His belief in the Abrahamic God was part of what made him the man he was. Seeing Heracles, a so-called demigod, standing before him and defeating him in combat wasn't something he could accept at all. As such, failure was not an option for the Lord Impaler.

"Come Berserker! It would take more than that to kill me!"

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

As the two Servants once again clashed, Darnic couldn't but curse the current situation as he turned his gaze towards the girl responsible.

"Sajyou Manaka...! Just in the world do you want?! Just why are you here?!"

Hearing her name being called out, the former Master of Saber stared at the blue-haired man as she began speaking.

"What I've always wanted, to grant my darling prince's wish of course~!" The girl replied, smiling happily. "Ah, but you shouldn't worry about me. You should worry about what that thing in the sky is about to do."

Confused for a moment as to what she could have meant, Darnic's eyes snapped wide in realization when saw the flying fortress now directly above the castle itself. Until now, it had maintained a distance between its location and the castle. But now that it was above, there was only one reason he could come to as to why that was.

The seals on the grail had been broken, and the Rogue Faction was now going to secure it.

Unable to accept that outcome, and seeing no other way for Lancer to win over Berserker, Darnic raised his hand and called out.

"Lancer, by the power of my Command Spell, I order you to use your second Noble Phantasm!"

"What!?" Vlad demanded as the power of the seal began to dominate his being.

Resisting it as much as he could, the Servant of the Spear glared murderously at the head of the Yggdmillennia clan.

"Darnic you bastard! What have I told you about forcing me to use that?! Do you truly wish to suffer my wrath?! I'd sooner die at the hands of Berserker than become the abomination that my name has been associated with!"

"I'm afraid I no longer care for you opinion." Darnic replied unfazed by the former's threats. "If I must, I'll force you too!"

"Damn you!"

"Ah, I'm afraid we can't have that."

Without warning, Manaka appeared right in front of Darnic as she placed her hand over the arm where his Command Spell was located at. He froze up as the girl smiled sweetly at him, continuing to speak as she did so.

"Really now, having an argument like this when your enemy is right in front of you~?"

Heracles stood behind the young blonde, his red and gold eyes gleaming under the night sky.

* * *

Fiore decided to go on ahead of the others once she felt Archer's presence more clearly. She soon reached the area where she knew him to be, atop one of the many towers of the castle. Thanks to her mystic code, she easily climbed up the side of the building with ease, making for quick travel.

She could feel the presence of another Servant there, and she knew that it wasn't one of their own. As such, she needed to ready herself.

"Archer...!"

As soon she reached at the top, Fiore called out to her Servant...

"Hehe...!"

...Only for her to widen her eyes in horror.

There on his knees was Archer, the green-haired warrior impaled by a number of swords and bleeding all over. Numerous bodies surrounded him, each having been one of Assassin's personas. The sight of them as they began to dissipate into the air told her enough. Archer had been surrounded, and he fought with them all.

She would've assumed that he won... if not for the other Servant standing right in front of Archer.

With one arm bleeding and broken and the other holding a strange looking spear that resembled a sickle, Perseus stood over his former teacher with an emotionless expression on his face... a stark contrast to the smile that Chiron directing at him.

"You've truly grown, Perseus..."

"I have you to thank for that, my great teacher..."

With that, Perseus pulled back Harpe, severing his former teacher's head.

* * *

 ***CLANG***

Evenly matched in their swordplay, both Arthur and Shirou leaped back from each other as they found themselves in a stalemate.

Both waited for the other to make a move, eyeing their respective body movements carefully.

For Arthur, fighting against an opponent using a light blade such as a katana, two of them in fact, was more difficult compared to other opponents he had to face. Thanks to the build of the weapon, his foe could move and strike faster than he could.

For Shirou, he noted that the King of Knight was as difficult an opponent as ever. And pitting a pair of katanas against a broadsword such as Excalibur really wasn't the best idea thought up as the two blades, despite their short usage, already began to wear down after continually clashing with the legendary holy sword.

As for Jeanne and Mordred, the two had just finished cutting down the rest of the Assassin personas. Only three or so were left within the room, including the bald male and the violet haired female. Those two in particular were more skilled compared to their counterparts.

"Tch, useless bunch...!" Julian clicked his tongue in distaste.

At that moment, an explosion occurred at the ceiling right above the greater grail. As the smoke cleared, a large hole leading to the outside had been created. The first thing Jeanne saw above had been the flying fortress belonging to the Rogue Faction.

"Ah, it looks as though our ride is here." Shirou suddenly smiled at the trio. "As much I enjoyed our meeting, I'm afraid I have to cut it short."

"Do you really think we would allow you people to get away?" Arthur stated as he readied Excalibur.

"Perhaps not, but-"

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Hearing an inhuman roar coming from above them, those within the room looked up to see a person being thrown into the chamber through the hole. Said person was revealed to be none other than...

"Darnic...!?"

Julian stared incredulously at the mangled form of the head of the Yggdmillennia clan. Bloodied and bruised, life no longer filled his body. Although they were now enemies, he couldn't help but be shocked at his former ally's appearance. What had happened to him...!?

His answer came in the form of a huge black giant suddenly jumping into the hole, forming a small crater on the floor as he landed. Both Arthur and Shirou widened their eyes in shock as they realized who the newcomer was, for they both had fought against the black giant in the past before.

"Ehehehe~!"

The chilling laughter of a young girl could suddenly be heard throughout the area, one that caused Arthur to freeze up as the voice behind the laughter was one very familiar to him, belonging to a person he won't soon forget about.

"Humans are so fragile... maybe that's why we're so prone to being emotional. Or maybe not~?"

Turning around, the Arthur saw the girl once more... the very same girl he had sworn to protect all those years ago. There was no mistaking this time, it really was...

"Manaka."

There, the girl stood at the entrance to the room. Her hands behind her back and an angelic smile on her face. And as soon she laid her eyes upon her the white knight, her smile widened even more. Much like she had imagined, he hadn't changed at all thanks to being a Servant. He was as handsome as ever!

"Wait, what...?"

Hearing Arthur speak up and seeing the stunned expression that he had, Jeanne allowed her gaze to fall upon the girl known as Manaka.

So she was Arthur's former Master? She looked to be rather young, perhaps around the same age as Caster of Black's Maser, not at all like the elderly person that she should have appeared as that the young man said she would've been had she lived longer.

He had chosen to betray that girl...?

As for the girl in question herself, Manaka was unable to contain herself any longer as she called out to the white knight.

"It's been a long time... hasn't it Saber~?"

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so ends CH14. You know, I feel that this chapter is weak compared to the last one, especially since I had to cut back on other fight scenes since I felt that including them didn't really do favors for the flow of the chapter anymore than when they were originally there. For anyone disappointed by this, I apologize.

Anyway, onto the chapter itself.

Atalanta's NP vs Elizabeth's NP. I actually cannot see the former winning out over the latter despite the higher rank. Elizabeth's NP is basically a sonic roar while the former's NP is an arrow barrage. I cannot see it beating a sonic roar, so it resulted in that. The thing with _Brahmastra_ being shot from Karna's right eye is something that I actually took from Fate/Extra CCC where he does the exact same thing. Vlad being unable pierce through Berserker's _God Hand_ is because his NP actually tanks out as B-Rank.

Speaking of which, Heracles appears XD From the very start, I've been planning on adding him into the mix as one of Manaka's six Servants. I mean, while I like Jekyll/Hyde just fine, I really wanted to add the former into the mix. Speaking of which, Paracelsus was also replaced by another Servant from the franchise. No one from FGO, but someone who already made their debut before that game. Oh, and Heracles' appearance is based off from his Third Ascension Form in FGO.

And this time around Gilgamesh won the dogfight. There's a reason why I decided to bring in his motorcycle from Carnival Phantasm, and that was so he could smack Lancelot right in the face with it XD Granted, that scene could've been written better, and believe me I'll improve on it in the future along with other scenes I feel are lacking.

 _ **As for those who had questions:**_

 _ **Cain:**_ Just wait and see. It's better I use the story to explain stuff like that than do it in a Q &A section.

 _ **Orpheus:** _ For the love of god, stop talking to me and asking me about things that don't have anything to do with FMB. And yes, I'm at least pondering the idea of a sequel to FMB. As for a prequel, not yet. And I will not take requests for either of them XP If you want to talk to me about other stuff, get yourself an account on this site.

Anyway, that's it for now. Please review :D


	15. Act II-15: Sajyou Manaka

_**AN: Here's CH15! Please review :D**_

 _ **Update (5/9/2016):** **Thank you bakhri for noticing those mistakes of mine in CH11 and CH13! Seriously, that was a little embarrassing for me XD I just fixed them up now.**_

* * *

 _Manaka couldn't have been any happier than when she was right now._

 _Having defeated the other six masters and servants, she and Saber were now closer more than ever in helping the latter achieve his wish. Their opponents were really tough, but as expected of her beloved prince, he was able to pull through every tough situation that he was in._

 _However, there was a new problem that Manaka had come across._

 _In order for the Greater Grail to achieve its full potential, it needed the sacrifice of seven Heroic Spirits. Meaning that even if a single Servant had defeated the other six, they would be unable to attain the grail themselves since it their life would be needed as well._

 _Manaka couldn't bring herself to do that, not to her beloved prince. As such, she came up with an alternate solution._

 _Sacrificing humans to the grail would've been more than sufficient. Although when compared to the_ average _Heroic Spirit, their value were significantly less and thus she would need to use a lot of human lives in order for them to serve as a sufficient replacement for Saber. Children in particular held more value as their existences were somewhat closer to the Akasha as younger beings._

 _As such, Manaka hypnotized a bunch and brought them with her towards the location of the grail, one of them being her own little sister Ayaka._

 _"Onee-chan...! Please... stop this...!" The girl cried out, tears streaming down her face._

 _"It's alright Ayaka, onee-chan loves you." Manaka comforted her sister before placing a finger upon her forehead. "But, I want you to do something for me alright~? If you do, you'll be my most favorite person after Saber~!"_

 _"Onee-chan...!" Whatever the girl had to say, it disappeared as she suddenly lost consciousness and her body began moving on its own._

 _Manaka smiled at this, Ayaka was a good little sister to follow her big sister's orders. She soon joined the rest of the children, who lined up as they sacrificed themselves one by one to the grail._

 _Not that it really bothered her. After all, what was their worth compared to her beloved prince?_

 _The thought of said person thanking her for everything she had done for him... her imagination began running wild as a blush grew on her face. With this, Saber would surely begin to return her affections for him, wouldn't he?_

 _"What is this...!?"_

 _Hearing her beloved prince's voice, an elated smile grew on the girl's face as she the white knight standing at the entrance to the cavern._

 _"Ah, Saber! Just wait alright~? I'll be with you in a minute."_

 _As the girl's mind wandered, she felt something off..._

 _"Eh...?"_

 _It was a very strange sensation..._

 _Just as she was praising the children for following her commands, something came and stabbed her in the back all the way through her chest..._

 _Looking down on herself, she saw blood pouring from the wound, staining the very thing that connected her to her beloved prince. She couldn't even feel any pain coming from it as she was trying to comprehend the thing which was sticking out from it..._

 _A holy sword of unrivaled magnificence..._

 _It was none other than Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, the very same sword that belonged to her beloved prince given to him by the Lady of the Lake after he had lost the Caliburn, the Sword in the Stone. Realizing this, she turned her head around and allowed her gaze to fall upon him._

 _"Sa...ber...?"_

 _Her prince's eyes were unusually cold, gone were the warm and caring look they had whenever he would gaze upon her. His mouth curved into an angry frown, a far cry from the smiles he always had when speaking with her. Soon, her beloved prince began speaking._

 _"I too have committed a grave error. Both you and the grail... truly you both are twisted existences that need to be erased!"_

 _Why would he say that? Saber promised to protect her didn't he? Didn't he know that hearing those words sounded really hurtful?_

 _Manaka felt her body becoming weaker and weaker, blood beginning to pour itself from her wound and mouth as the pain suddenly began to flood her entire being._

 _She was dying... she was dying wasn't she?_

 _Manaka didn't really understand... she didn't really understand it even after Saber had pulled back his sword and suddenly kicked her into a ravine where the grail was situated in. She didn't even it realize it until the act was done, for her mind was filled with fear of one thing..._

 _That she was dying... it meant that she could no longer see Saber again? If so, then..._

 _Manaka smiled one last time... at the sight of her beloved prince as her ability to see began to blur._

 _If she was dying... then at least she managed to see Saber one last time. It was an image that wouldn't leave her mind anytime soon..._

 _...As soon as the girl thought that, darkness clouded her mind once she made impact_

* * *

 _When Manaka came to, she found herself alone within a pool of black mud._

 _"I'm... alive...?"_

 _Aside from feeling a little sore, she was okay for the most part._

 _"Ah! Saber...!"_

 _Not bothering to even wonder how she was still alive, the young girl quickly made her way back up to where she last saw her beloved prince._

 _Once there, she saw that Saber was no where to be found, the children that she had been using to fuel the grail were now gone themselves, the cave itself having mostly collapsed around itself a large hole revealing the sky above, and the Greater Grail had disappeared too._

 _Looking down upon herself, she saw that her Command Spell was still on her. Using it, she realized that Saber had truly disappeared from the world._

 _"Saber..."_

 _Manaka continually began to mutter his name over and over... her eyes completely devoid of life as she stared off blankly into space._

 _She had finally come so close in helping him grant his wish, so why did he have to disappear now? Was it fate's own twisted sense of humor at work?_

 _...!_

 _Suddenly feeling an incredible sensation come over her, Manaka held herself as she momentarily wriggled in pain. Realizing its source, she once again placed a hand over her Command Spell and soon enough the pain stopped. However, when it suddenly began to glow, the girl quickly realized what it was that caused her to feel such pain._

 _Placing both hands upon herself and closing her eyes, she searched deeper within._

 _Within the deepest reaches of her being, she found something quite unusual. Upon discovering what it was, the blonde began giggling to herself._

 _"Ehehehe~! I see, so that means I can still grant Saber's wish...!"_

 _She was certain of that... that one day her beloved prince would return. And when he did, she would be waiting for him, ready to shower him with her affection._

 _"Saber, come back soon alright~?"_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15:**_

 _ **Sajyou Manaka**_

* * *

"It's been a long time... hasn't it Saber~?"

Still stunned by her appearance before him and the rest, Arthur couldn't find the words to speak as he laid his eyes upon his former Master once more. Much like sixty years ago, she continued to wear the light blue dress that she had always favored dressing up in, though this time she lacked the shoes and went barefoot.

Looking closely at the young girl, he saw that the wound he had inflicted upon her all those years ago was still there, not having healed up since then.

"Ehehehe~! Keep staring like that and you'll make me blush you know~?"

Arthur merely narrowed his eyes in response, glaring at the girl as he tightened his grip on Excalibur.

"Why are you here Manaka?"

"Isn't it obvious? I came here to see you silly~!" She began walking over to the white knight. "Back then, you just left me without saying goodbye! Really now, is that how a man should treat a lady?"

"I see not a lady, but a child." Arthur replied somewhat deadpan, causing the girl to pout. He then took a step backwards once Manaka came close.

Seeing this, the blonde-haired girl tilted her head in confusion.

"What's the matter Saber~? Won't you even allow me to hug you~?" She asked, causing Jeanne to frown for reasons unknown even to the young saint.

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

This time, Arthur raised Excalibur and pointed it as the young girl's neck, causing the black giant that had appeared to suddenly begin roaring.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

"Now, now, be calm Berserker~"

With but a few words, the black giant complied as he refocused his attention towards the others in the room, of whom relaxed when they saw the mad Servant go quiet.

Shirou couldn't help but sweat in fear. The last time had to deal with Berserker, it had nearly gotten him killed. As much confidence he had in his own abilities, the child of Zeus wasn't someone he was willing to go near as a Berserker-Class of all things.

There was also the matter of the girl known as Sajyou Manaka.

Much like the King of Knights, he too was shocked by the appearance of the girl before them. Back then, he was sure that he had seen Saber kill his own Master. Some time after that, he even went back to check. That said, he found nothing at the time and merely assumed that she was dead.

Now she had returned, and with Berserker under her total control. Sixty years ago, he had considered her to be the most dangerous Master out of the seven participants back then, most of whom were experienced magi one way or another.

While thinking this, he noticed Julian and Assassin ready to make a move against the girl. Quickly, Shirou motioned for both to stop as there was still the matter of Berserker to deal with. If they tried anything, the black giant would most definitely go on a rampage.

 _"Assassin! What's taking you so long? Get us out of here!"_ The young priest called out via telepathy.

 _"I'm trying, but there's something interfering with my magic."_ Semiramis replied. One could clearly tell from her tone she was speaking in she was actually distressed. _"It looks as though someone had just erected a boundary field around you that prevents outside interference. Whoever did it, it must be someone of incredible magic prowess for it to even prevent me from bypassing it."_

Shirou wondered if it was Manaka, but perhaps that was an overestimation of the girl's abilities. Then again, with her having Berserker under her command, there was a chance of _that person_ having been under her control as well. If so, that would explain a few things. She must've set up the barrier so that she could talk without any interruptions.

The other question would be how the girl was able to survive all these years, as well as having control over a Servant herself, but that was something that could wait.

 _"Do what you can, but make it quick. If you were in this situation, you'd want to leave as fast as you could."_

 _"Stay safe Master, I would feel quite troubled if something happened to you."_

"Assassin is doing what she can. We must hold out for now." Shirou muttered to Julian, who nodded in response. If the worst came to pass, he could always use a Command Spell to summon Lancer, whom he was confident would be able to help them deal with the situation.

"Heh~ So this is the new Holy Grail?"

Before anyone in the room even noticed it, Manaka had moved and was now currently standing right in front of the Greater Grail, eyeing it with a childlike gaze.

"For something that's supposed to be a replica, it looks real different than what I thought it was going to be like."

Both Shirou and Julian nearly jumped when they heard the girl speaking behind them. Motioning for Julian to distance himself the grail, the latter did so while eyeing the girl carefully while wondering how she appeared like that.

Arthur was also completely taken back by it as well. One moment he had Manaka at the neck and within the blink of an eye she was standing in front of the grail. Just what in the world was going on?

"That person over there really was good to be able to make this." Manaka looked over her shoulder, eyeing the corpse that Berserker had thrown into the room. "It's too bad he's dead though. Maybe I had him killed too quickly?"

Something quickly came to Jeanne's mind. With Darnic dead, just where did that leave Lancer of Black...?

"Oh, you're wondering about Lancer aren't you?"

Now standing right in front the young saint, Manaka smiled at her as she made her statement to the older blonde, who in turn was taken off guard by her sudden appearance.

"You shouldn't bother about him, I had Berserker kill him too." She happily revealed with a smile much to the shock of those present. "That's what they get for arguing with an enemy right in front of them. Only real idiots would something like that... Ehehehe~!"

Using her abilities, Jeanne quickly tried to find Lancer of Black's presence. When she felt that she couldn't detect him at all, she realized that the girl known as Manaka was speaking the truth, that she and Berserker were indeed responsible for Darnic and Lancer of Black's death.

But perhaps, it was too be expected. From the moment the black giant had appeared, she was able to identify him as Heracles, one of the mightiest heroes of Ancient Greece. Even with all his bonuses as a Servant that was born in Romania, Heracles would've been exceptionally formidable anywhere in Europe.

However, the question that ran through her mind at the moment was just how was it that girl managed to gain command over such a person?

"Hmm... so you're the new Ruler."

"...!"

The young saint blinked in surprise when the girl suddenly appeared right before her.

As for Manaka herself, she looked over the person that currently served as her beloved prince's Master. She had seen her before, but now that she was standing right in front of her, she noted that Ruler was in fact a very beautiful person.

While she thought of this, Manaka suddenly began frowning at the older blonde as her eyes centered around a specific area of her body.

 _'This person... she really does have big breasts!'_

While she would normally not be one to dwell on such thoughts, she couldn't help but feel inadequate when she allowed her gaze to fall upon the rather buxom Ruler. Manaka's growth had been stunted sixty years ago, and while she could perhaps use magecraft to help fix the problem, it wouldn't have been natural. And Saber himself probably wouldn't have even recognized her with a more adult body.

With that said, she began wondering to herself what type of girl did Saber prefer. Did he like buxom women or petite girls?

Meanwhile Jeanne herself was ignorant of the thoughts that Manaka was having, merely staring at the girl awkwardly as she continued to stare at the young saint.

"Manaka!" Arthur called out once more, catching the girl's attention as she smiled at him.

"What is it Saber~?"

"I'll ask you again. Just why are you here?" He demanded.

"Like I said before," Manaka disappeared and quickly reappeared standing beside the grail. "I came here to see you. But I was curious to see for myself just what's going in this Holy Grail War. I've never seen one with so many people participating before. It's really interesting~!"

"So that means you've observing us up until now..." Arthur muttered before he realized something. "Now I see, you were behind what happened the other day."

"That's right~! I didn't know playing cat and mouse with you would be so much fun~!" She said, an elated smile on her face. "Speaking of which Saber..."

Manaka's mood suddenly shifted as happy smile turned into a cold one once she allowed her gaze to fall upon Mordred.

"That person over there... she's your child right?"

Mordred eyed the girl carefully. Whoever she was, there was something not right about her. Even someone like her could tell that much.

That said, her father knew this girl? Judging from the way they talked to each other, they knew each other well. If so, just who was she then?

"The legends say that King Arthur was killed by his own child." She stated as her smile suddenly began to widen itself. "And considering that she's a Heroic Spirit, I'm guessing that Saber of Red is Mordred. Then that means she's the one who killed you before... right?"

Realizing what she was planning to do, Arthur called out to the red knight.

"Mordred, move!"

"Wha-!?"

 _ **"LUMINOSITE ETERNELLE!"**_

Quickly leaping right in front of the Knight of Treachery, Jeanne activated her Noble Phantasm the moment she felt and saw a very powerful blast of energy heading straight for the latter, whom herself wouldn't have been able to react in time to the blast thanks to its suddenness.

...!

When compared to the flying fortresses' earlier attack, the power of the blast was weaker. Thanks to that, she was able to repel the blast as it curved to the side and blew up a section of the wall creating a large hole. The young saint wondered to herself if that was the full extent of what Manaka could do, or if it was just a taste.

"Thanks... I guess." The red knight muttered, still taken aback by what just happened. Jeanne merely smiled in response.

Normally she would have been annoyed by Ruler's interference, but from the moment Manaka saw Ruler activate her Noble Phantasm, she felt something off. There was a familiar sensation present when Ruler had utilized it to defend against her attack just now. Whatever it was, she intended to find out more.

At the moment however, she decided to let her and Saber of Red be for now. She had other priorities that needed dealing with first.

* * *

"Archer...!"

Fiore could only find herself calling out to her fallen Servant as his remains began to dissipate, the Command Spell on her arm disappearing as well, as tears began forming in the corners of her eyes as her mystic code briefly deactivated thanks to her grief, sending the girl to the ground.

Turning to look at the source of the voice, Perseus gazed solemnly at the young brunette.

"Are you angry? That I killed your Servant...?"

Hearing him speak out to her, Fiore glared at the Rogue Rider responsible for Archer's death.

Just now, right before he died, Archer had called him Perseus didn't he...?

"It'll be alright, you'll be joining teacher as well."

Saying that, Perseus made his way towards the brunette who quickly readied herself as her mystic code activated itself once more. Even if she couldn't win against a Servant, she would at least go down fighting. For Archer's sake, it was the least that she could do in honor of his memory.

"Screw that!"

Before she knew it, Lancer appeared swinging his red spear at Perseus who quickly leaped back a bit as the two Servants stared each other off. Taking a moment, the blue-haired spearsman looked back at her with a smirk on his face.

"How about next time you try waiting for us instead of going ahead?"

At that moment, the door to the roof opened and there stood Caules, Ayaka, Gray, and Reines.

"Sis!"

"Tch!"

Knowing that he was outmatched thanks to his broken arm, Perseus opted to retreat for now. He had done his fair share for his allies, the rest was up to them now.

With that, Perseus leaped off the roof.

"Hey! Get back here!"

Lancer called out as he ran towards the spot where the Rogue Rider had just jumped off. He stopped in his tracks when the cry of a horse echoed throughout the air, a ball of light rising up and speeding away from the castle as it flew into the night sky.

Clicking his tongue in distaste, the blue-haired spearsman sighed at the missed opportunity for a battle. Then again, having seen Rider's injured arm, it probably wouldn't have been much fun at all.

"Sis, are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he!?"

Caules quickly went over to older sister kneeling beside her.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me Caules."

Fiore did her best to smile for her brother, trying to assure him but failed in doing so as it was clear to the young man that it was a fake smile. As such, he couldn't help but ask.

"What happened? Where's Archer...?"

When his sister turned her head away with tears in her eyes, the young man's eyes widened as he quickly figured out what that meant. His eyes were now filled with sorrow for the green-haired Archer. Although they were destined to fade away eventually, he came to like Archer, Rider, and Berserker.

Clenching his fist, he couldn't help but wonder that if that maybe if they gotten here sooner, then Archer would still be alive!

"So then... how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Really, I am. I just needed a moment is all."

Wiping away her tears, Fiore knew that this wasn't time for grief. Right now, they still had to defend the castle.

"Let's go find the others then." She stated, rising up through the use of her mystic code. "Lord El-Melloi II and Mr. Shishigou should be with Uncle Gordes and Aunt Celenike right now. We should go on support them in any way we can."

"Lead the way then little lady." Lancer smiled.

* * *

Looking towards the other person in the room that she recognized, Manaka smiled at Shirou as she began speaking to him.

"Hey there Ruler-kun, it's been a while hasn't it?" She waved at him. "You've been really busy these past few years haven't you?"

"I suppose I have. And what of you little lady? You're as youthful as the day you died."

"Ehehehe~! Don't be silly, people only die when they're killed~!" Manaka giggled. "Tell me something, are still trying to grant that silly wish of yours?"

"I wouldn't call it silly, considering that what I aim for is the salvation of the world." Shirou replied, narrowing his eyes at the girl. "Why do you ask? Do you wish to join me? I'm afraid I have no intention of teaming up with a witch such as yourself."

"Eh!? How cruel~!"

"You're one to talk." Arthur stated as the former looked at him. While he had no intention of defending his former Master, he couldn't stay quiet either. "Considering that you were planning on utilizing that abomination yourself-"

"I would've been able to purify it." The young priest replied firmly before gesturing to himself. "Just where do you think this body of mine came from? Most certainly it wasn't the result of my own determination bringing forth a miracle."

Arthur widened his eyes in realization, finally figuring out just how in the world Shirou had managed to survive all these years.

"I see... so that means-"

"Not what you're thinking." The young man quickly replied. "Like I said, I was able to purify the corruption that stained my new body. Being a man of god has its benefits."

"Hmm~! So the grail gave you a new life too huh?" Manaka clapped her hands smiling. "I suppose that makes us allies then right~?"

"No." Shirou deadpanned.

Jeanne really didn't like the idea of being in the dark any longer, not with the talk taking place between Arthur, Shirou, and Manaka. She was the mediator of the Holy Grail War, summoned by none other than the grail itself. As such, she had a right to know as well, even if it was only a little.

"Arthur, just what happened before? Just what are you all talking about?"

"That's..."

Arthur began but didn't know where to start, his Master's stare only serving to further enforce his inability to do so. He really should have just told her everything last time.

"Now, now, Ruler-chan, you have to be patient before you can start to understand everything." The young girl stated before she paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, there are two Rulers... I'll guess I'll just refer to you both as Shirou-kun and Jeanne-chan then."

Both said people raised a brow at this, wondering if the girl was trying to mess with them by referring to both with rather friendly Japanese suffixes. The smile on the young blonde's face didn't exactly help their understanding of her either.

Mordred herself was curious to know more about the girl. Having been attacked by her earlier, she would've gladly returned the favor if not for the fact that there were other enemies present, most especially that black giant known as Berserker. Whoever he was, one look at him was enough to tell her that he was quite powerful.

Manaka quickly walked up the grail once more, standing right in front of it as the others eyed her carefully.

"Back on topic, you said you wanted to grant that silly wish of yours right?" Manaka asked as she allowed her gaze to fall upon the white-haired priest. "That wish really does sound like a childish fairy tale you know... but I suppose that's what makes it desirable. People just can't help but strive in trying to do the impossible."

"What would be your point?" Shirou demanded, crossing his arms.

"Tell me something, just what do you think the grail _is_ in the first place?" The girl replied, and that was enough to catch Shirou's attention.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"People say that it's something that can provide happiness to whoever wields it, bringing eternal joy to them." Manaka began, gazing at the Greater Grail. "But that's all rubbish don't you think? Taking a look at the history of the grail, it's been wrought with blood all the way by people trying to find it."

"That's..."

Indeed, there was truth in the girl's words, something Jeanne couldn't help but agree with herself. Just how many lives were lost in the past trying to acquire it?

"So then, for people to call it a wish granting device that can create miracles... that's a bit mistaken don't you think?"

"Sometimes sacrifices are needed to bring forth a miracle." Julian suddenly spoke up. "Just what are you getting at little girl?"

"Ah, but that's mistaken as well." Manaka stated. "It's called a miracle for a reason. If it needs something like a sacrifice in order for it to perform it, then how can that ever be called a miracle? That simply defeats the purpose of what a miracle is supposed to be."

"We're not here to debate this matter." Shirou firmly stated. "Just tell us what you desire and be done with it."

"Geez, you people have no patience at all~" The young blonde pouted cutely. "Alright then, I'll tell you..."

A smile grew on the young blonde's face.

"What I want, is to use the grail for what it was made for."

For some reason, Jeanne felt a sense of foreboding. The young saint instinctively knew that whatever came out of Manaka's mouth next, it wasn't something she was going to like hearing about.

"In the first place, the grails being used in Holy Grail Wars are nothing more than cheap imitations of the original. And the original itself was based on the blueprints taken from a cardinal who copied it from the original framework that was being kept by the Church in the early nineteenth century. He sold it to the Einzbern, peddling it as something that was able to help them retrieve their lost magic Heaven's Feel. But in reality, it's not..."

Taking another moment to gaze at the grail behind her, Manaka continued.

"Originally, the Holy Grail War's purpose is to summon forth the Beast of Revelation."

At that, the young saint's eyes widened in shock as did Mordred's. The Holy Grail War was originally designed for what...!?

Looking towards her friend, Jeanne saw Arthur narrow his eyes at his former Master. It was enough to tell her that he knew about it as well, and it looks as though that Shirou and his ally Julian had known too.

"You're lying!" Mordred called out, unable to believe it. "That's ridiculous...! That's the Holy Grail War's true purpose!?"

"But it's not a lie." Manaka replied, smiling at the red knight. "Over two hundred years ago, the foundation for what became the holy grail originally started out as a ritual to summon the beast, designed by the cardinal who copied and modified it from the original framework. His plans fell short when the Einzbern discovered what he did, and after killing him, they redesigned the ritual altogether with the Tohsaka and the Makiri to suit their needs."

"Then you're wrong." Jeanne stated in response. "Even if that was the case, the fact is that the Holy Grail was redesigned. As such, the grail war's purpose is still to grant wishes to those who prove themselves worthy of it."

"But I'm not wrong." The girl's smile grew wide as she gazed at the older blonde. "The thing is, despite being redesigned, it's still possible for the grail to summon the beast. All it would need is for someone to restore it to its original setting is all."

"But that's just...!" The young saint couldn't believe what she was hearing, Mordred most especially.

If so, then her wish... everyone's wishes...! They wouldn't come true then!?

"That would explain what happened sixty years ago..." Shirou muttered to himself. He always wondered just how in the world Manaka managed to corrupt the grail to such a degree back then. If she knew about the grail war's original purpose, then that explained it.

But, the question right now is why...?

"Manaka, just why do you wish to summon the Beast?"

Stepping forward, Arthur asked the question that was on everyone's minds. Back then, he didn't really bother to waste time asking his former Master why she desired to summon it. He just decided then and there that he wouldn't allow her to sacrifice anymore of the children that day.

Now though, he had the opportunity to ask.

"Why? Well because I'm tired of hearing stories about the grail granting wishes of course. None of it is true anyway, you think so too don't you Saber~?"

Indeed, Arthur had to admit he didn't really believe in the idea of the Holy Grail in the first place. That there could be such a holy artifact in spite of the fact that searching for it has led to the deaths of those would seek after it. But, if it was as powerful as it was said to be, he ended up desiring it nonetheless.

"Besides, the Beast can help you with your wish too Saber~! I just know it can~!"

"How does summoning an abomination such as the Beast help me with my wish!?"

The young man demanded from Manaka, for he was actually curious to hear the logic behind her insane words.

"Before creation must come destruction, isn't that the law that this world of ours lives by?" She asked, tilting her head cutely. "You want to create a world where your kingdom never fell didn't it? If so, you must destroy the current world first before you can do that."

"What I want is for the salvation of those I failed." Arthur retorted. "Not once have I ever wished to sacrifice the living world for it!"

"Aah~ But that's not possible..." Manaka shook her head. "Doing it like that, there's no guarantee of it being granted."

Really now, why did Saber have to be so stubborn?

"Tell me something Sajyou Manaka." Shirou suddenly called out to the young girl. "Do you intend to use this grail to summon the beast?"

"Why would I do that? I already have one that can do it."

"...!"

Both Arthur and Shirou widened their eyes at this. She couldn't possibly be talking about the original? Both were sure that the former had destroyed it!

"But, seeing as how you want to use the grail, I have no problem letting you take this one." Manaka continued as she decided to lay a hand upon the floating construct. "Even if you did use it, your wish is something that's-"

...!

Her eyes quickly widened up in surprise the moment her hand came into contact with the greater grail.

"This is...!"

This was certainly new. Though it functioned like the original, there was something about it that made the greater grail far different compared to its predecessor. Using her abilities, she tried accessing it further. But...

 _'I can't get through...?'_

Now this was something of interest to the young blonde. This was the first time she had ever encountered something that even she couldn't bypass. As such, she couldn't help become curious about what made the greater grail different compared to the original.

With that...

"I changed my mind, I'm going to take this with me~" Manaka stuck her tongue out in an apologetic manner.

"I don't think so... Lancer, come!"

Glowing bright red, a Command Spell disappeared off Shirou's arm as the white-haired demigod appeared within a flash of energy. Even with the barrier that was set up, a Command Spell had the ability to temporarily bypass the laws of space-time if it needed to. As such, the Invincible Hero managed to appear at his Master's call.

"Yes? My battle with Lancer of Red is not done yet." Karna asked.

"We have more pressing issues." Shirou replied.

Once the young girl laid her eyes upon the newcomer, she smiled. She had watched from the distance his earlier battle with Lancer of Red, and one thing was for sure, Karna was indeed a powerful warrior despite holding back a great deal.

"Eliminate her!"

"Alright then."

With no second thoughts, the white-haired demigod charged with his spear at the ready. Despite the danger, Manaka didn't move and merely smiled in response.

...!

* * *

"Ah, it's about time you lot got here."

Once the group turned a corner within the castle, they came across the duo of Waver and Kairi standing together with the duo of Saber of Black and Rider of Black.

"Wait, what happened here...!?"

On the floor next to them, Gordes and Celenike could be found lying in a pool of blood. And that was a tell-tale sign that both were now dead.

"They surrounded us... even though both me and Saber are strong, there were just too many of them and they got past us." Astolfo muttered, disappointed in himself at being unable to protect his Master. Despite their rocky relationship, Celenike was still someone he swore to protect as a Servant, and he couldn't even do that.

Siegfried felt the same, taking a blanket given to him by one of the homunculi servants and placed it over the remains his Master, prompting the young paladin to do the same for his own Master.

"Master!"

Caules flinched when he heard Berserker's familiar voice and soon found himself being tackled from behind. Luckily enough, he was able to stand his ground.

"Ahaha~! I knew you were still alive. As expected of my pig!"

"Who are you calling a pig!? And get off me!" The young man demanded in annoyance.

"Hahaha! Oh let her be boy, she's just happy to see you!"

From down the hallway where Elizabeth came from, Rider of Red appeared while walking towards the group with a large grin on his face.

"I was wondering when you'd come back. What happened up there?" Waver asked.

"Aside from cleaning out those flying skeletons of theirs, we couldn't do much against that flying fortress, not with just the two of us that is." Rider explained. "Not long after that, their attacks suddenly stopped. We waited it out a little while but nothing happened. It was as though something happened down here, so we decided to check."

"Is that okay? I mean, what if they attacked now?"

"If they did, they already would've done it. Something must be happening where the grail is at. Ruler and the King of Knights are there correct?"

"Indeed, they are still there."

Turning to look at the source of the voice, the group saw a hooded woman walking towards them with a ginger-haired boy right beside her.

"Roche, you're alright...!" Fiore smiled in relief.

"You have to thank teacher for that. Without her, I would've been killed by Assassin." The boy said, directing a smile towards the Servant of Magic.

"Hoho~? So you're Caster of Black then? It's an honor to finally meet you." Rider greeted.

"And the same goes for me King of Conquerors." Medea bowed courteously. "While exchanging pleasantries would be nice, there's still the matter of dealing with the newcomer that has taken hold of the grail."

"So Kotomine did get it...!"

"No, he didn't." Medea replied surprising the others. "Someone else has taken it, and currently she's still speaking with both Ruler and Saber. Whoever she is, she's not of ordinary blood. She has so far shown command over a Berserker-Class Servant, whose identity happens to be Heracles."

"Wait, you mean that Heracles...?!" Caules exclaimed in shock. One of the greatest Greek heroes to ever live, and he was summoned as a Berserker?! Whose bright idea was it to summon him as that of all things?!

"Indeed, the one and only." Medea nodded, frowning somewhat at the prospect of facing someone such as the son of Zeus. "Not only that, there's another piece of news you people should know. Lord Darnic and Lancer have both perished in battle."

That information was enough to silence everyone, most especially Fiore, Caules, and Roche.

"Uncle is... dead?"

Elizabeth muttered, unable to believe that someone as strong as Lancer was had been killed. Narrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she grabbed Medea by the collar.

"Who was it...!? Just who killed him!? I'll rip out their intestines and make a sweater out of it!"

"H-Hey Berserker calm down!" Caules quickly stated. "Getting angry at Caster won't help at all!"

Hearing logic in her Master's words, the Servant of Madness released her hold on her ally, clenching her hands into fists.

This was the first time Caules had seen Berserker so angry. If he had to say something, then perhaps it would've been normal considering that she was a Berserker-Class Servant. It obviously wasn't however, as he knew that the Servant of Madness was taking the death of Lancer hard. Did she really come to like him that much? Given that Berserker called him uncle for some reason, then perhaps she really did.

"I'll tell you later who it was. Now then, according to Lord Darnic's will." Medea began, catching the attention of everyone. "Lady Fiore, according to your grandfather's will, you are to become the next head of the Yggdmillennia family should anything happen to him."

Fiore expected as much, as did Caules and Roche. The young brunette had always been their grandfather's favorite heir among their entire clan. Together with Fiore's own natural talent as a magus, it would've been a greater shock if she didn't become the next head.

While she still believed she needed more time to prepare, Fiore knew that time had already run its course. Right now, it was her duty as her grandfather's chosen successor to lead their family. And with that said...

"Very well, I shall accept this role."

She stated, her eyes filled with resolution. Seeing this, Waver couldn't help but smile somewhat. During her time studying at the Clock Tower, he had remembered Fiore as being rather meek for a magus. But from the way her eyes looked, he could see determination in them. Though not immediately obvious, it was something all magi shared in their pursuit of the Root. And the ability to see things through to the end in itself was a virtue. It reminded him a certain someone he knew...

"Hahaha! Well said girl, that's the spirit!" Iskandar stated with a smile.

And said person was praising Fiore with a huge grin on his face.

"In that case, onto the second order of business." The Servant of Magic stated as she turned her gaze towards Siegfried and Astolfo. "With the deaths of Lord Gordes and Lady Celenike, both Saber and Rider are without Masters. We have to rectify that soon, even with them having mana supplied to them by the homunculi."

Well that sounded familiar to Waver, remembering that his former teacher Kayneth had used a similar method with his then fiance Sola-Ui. She provided the mana and he acted as the commander. Too bad for both it didn't really help them in the long run.

"I shall take command of Saber. Is that alright with you?" Fiore asked the dragon slayer who remained silent. But soon enough, the Siegfried smiled and nodded at the brunette's request.

"I see, thank you Saber." Fiore smiled in return. "That just leaves Rider... but I don't know who should take him. Caules has Berserker and Roche has Caster.""

"Excuse me."

Once again hearing another voice call out, the group looked to see a male homunculus standing down the hallway. It was someone that Rider was well acquainted with.

"Sieg!"

The young paladin quickly ran over to his friend, the white-haired homunculus smiling somewhat at the exuberant joy that pink-haired warrior exhibited.

"Thank goodness you're alright! Assassin didn't try anything on you?"

"One of them did, but I managed to drive him off with this..."

With that said, Sieg raised his right arm and soon enough it transformed into a strange looking claw like appendage. In fact, it looked to be draconic in nature.

"Oh my, it seems the procedure we did was quite successful." Medea commented, honestly surprised by the results.

"So cool! What else can you do~?"

At that, wings sprouted upon Sieg's upper back, followed up by him suddenly breathing fire causing those who present to look in awe.

All except Elizabeth herself who crossed her arms and began pouting.

"What's the big deal? I can do that too. Except maybe for the fire breathing part that is..." She muttered while sulking somewhat in annoyance.

"So then, why did you come here Sieg?"

"I overheard you all talking about Rider lacking a Master, and I was hoping that you all might explain this..."

Rolling up the left sleeve of his shirt, Sieg revealed a rather surprising mark on his forearm...

"Wait, that's...!"

Said mark was none other than a Command Spell.

* * *

The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the room.

"Hehe~!"

"That's...!"

From the moment Arthur had seen Berserker land right in front of them and Manaka's appearance, he had suspected that the same could be said about his fellow Servants from sixty years ago, the person that was parrying Karna's attack confirmed it.

...And she was someone he had personally slain back then.

"Aah~ How wonderful. You remind me a little of that person~"

There stood an woman incredible of such beauty that her looks could've only belonged to that of a goddess. Wearing a short black dress covered in rather exotic looking armor, her long white and teal hair flowed freely behind her. The woman smiled at her foe, a light blush on her face.

"Brynhild...!"

Jeanne muttered aloud the identity of the newest Servant to enter the fray. A woman having become famous for her tragic love story with the hero known as Sigurd, she was a formerly a divine spirit up until she was cast away by her father Odin after having defeated a champion he had blessed.

"Hehe~!"

"...!"

Karna suddenly found himself being pushed back a great distance by the Valkyrie. He was completely taken aback by how easily his foe was able to perform such a feat.

"I should've known...!"

Shirou muttered as he readied both his katanas. The white-haired priest could only wonder to himself just when Manaka had summoned the former goddess into the room when he didn't even sense anything nor did she even use a Command Spell as far as he knew.

Looking at Shirou, Brynhild smiled as she recognized him. Once she laid her eyes upon Arthur however, her smile widened even more.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Saber~? The last I remember, you drove your blade so very deep into me~"

"I did, and I see that you're looking no worse for wear." The white knight casually replied, readying himself in case the teal-haired Valkyrie decided to attack. "I suspect that you wish to continue where we left of then? Not that I mind I suppose."

"Unfortunately, we can't do that right now. Perhaps one day~"

For some reason, Jeanne couldn't help but feel herself shake in annoyance at the way their talk with one another other played out. She knew well enough that what they were talking about, but the way they said it was just...

 _'Wait, why am I even reacting like this...?'_

While the young saint pondered said thought, Manaka too felt the same. She would need to have a word with Lancer later. She then gazed at her beloved prince, speaking.

"Saber, you won't be coming with me will you?"

"No, never again." Arthur replied resolutely.

"It's because Jeanne-chan's your Master now isn't it?" She said, frowning darkly at the other blonde for a moment, to the point that Jeanne expected her to attack again.

To her surprise, she didn't. Instead, the girl smiled brightly again as she continued speaking.

"Oh well, I suppose that can't be helped. It's not like it matters anyway, I know that you'll eventually come around."

Placing a hand back onto the greater grail, the floating construct emitted a single pulse for a moment before it suddenly began shrinking, to the point that it was about the size of the young girl's hand. Fitting perfectly in the blonde's palm.

Those who saw this couldn't but be astounded by how casually she had just performed the act. It was something that would've taken several highly skilled magi to perform, otherwise doing such things could've resulted in accidents.

"For now, I'll be taking this." Manaka spoke once more as the greater grail disappeared from her hand. "Saber, your enemies with Shirou-kun right now right? Then once you beat him, you can come find me and we can be together again just like before!"

At that, she then turned to face Shirou.

"As for you Shirou-kun. If you can actually defeat Saber, then I'll give you back the greater grail as a reward." She stated much to the white-haired priest's surprise. "In fact, I think I'll give to anyone who wins this war."

"You expect me to believe such nonsense?"

"It's up to you whether or not you'll believe me." Manaka shrugged. "It's not like I expect you to win anyway since you can't Saber~!"

Shirou narrowed his eyes at the young blonde as did Arthur. It was obvious that she was goading for them and their groups to fight against each other. Truth be told, they already were. But now, things were different.

At least... that was what Arthur had believed.

"Very well then, I'll take you up on that offer."

"You can't be serious!" Arthur demanded as he pointed Excalibur at Shirou. "You should know what she's trying to do, yet you choose to continue fighting against us?!"

"Of course. After all, we are still enemies." The young man stated in reply. "Even if we were to temporarily ally ourselves with one another, it would never work out."

"You don't know that unless we try!" Jeanne added.

"And then what? What shall we do afterwards?" The white-haired priest asked. "In the end, I am an outsider whose actions have clearly broken the rules of the grail war, as are most of my associates. As a mediator, your duty is to punish those would break the rules. Whether or not I work with you shall not change that. As such, I find no benefit in aiding any of you when eventually we would go back to being enemies."

The young saint couldn't believe it. Was he really someone who would jeopardize everything just so he could attain his wish? Didn't he wish to bring salvation to the world?

"Sajyou Manaka, be prepared. For one day, I'll take the grail back from you!"

"Ehehehe~! Sure, I'm looking forward to it if you can even make it that far." Manaka giggled. "Oh, if you want to leave, you can go right ahead. I've already told Caster to take down the barrier now."

Arthur's eyes widened once more. Manaka had control of Caster as well?

"Is that so? Come Julian." Shirou stated as he called out to Assassin at the same time.

"You bastard, are you sure about this?" The young man demanded. "If we take care of that girl now, then the grail is well within reach!"

"I know that, but we cannot afford to win as we are now." Shirou replied, gazing at Manaka. "Having seen both Berserker and Lancer, and her saying that she has Caster on her side, I can safely assume that the other four Servants that fought in the grail war sixty years ago are under her command as well. One of them in particular is quite strong, and we would need to gather all the resources we can in order to take him down."

Seeing the troubled look on his face, Julian felt rather incredulous at this. Despite having summoned Karna, he wondered what kind of Heroic Spirit could cause such a reaction in his ally, who was normally calm a figure if somewhat emotional at times.

"Tch! Fine, have it your way." He replied in distaste. "Assassin, we're done here."

With that, the two boys quickly disappeared in a flash of light together with Karna and the Assassins.

Not long after that, the flying fortress that was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon quickly began flying away from the castle, its form fading away into the night sky as observed by those left in the chamber.

Turning her head, Manaka laid her eyes upon Arthur once more.

"You're really not coming with me Saber...?" She couldn't help but ask again. Although he already gave his answer, she found that there was no harm in trying again.

"No matter how many times you ask, my answer will stay the same." Arthur replied, somewhat taken aback by the girl's honestly disappointed reaction.

"It's because you're loyal to your new Master." The young blonde stated before smiling. "It's one of your virtues I suppose, it's one reason why I love you so much~!"

Arthur frowned at this, unamused by the girl's words as he shook his head.

"Oh well, I guess I really will leave you for now." She stated as Heracles appeared right next to Manaka and Brynhild. "I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll eventually defeat Shirou-kun and his friends. Don't disappoint me now~!"

A portal appeared behind the trio, one that was filled with darkness. Heracles went in first, followed by Brynhild who waved Arthur goodbye. Soon, it was Manaka's turn to enter the void. Before doing so, she turned back to gaze one last time at her beloved prince.

"I'll be looking forward to the day we can be together again, Saber~"

With that, Manaka entered the void and it closed, leaving the trio to themselves.

* * *

"Father..."

Mordred muttered quietly to herself, gazing at the back of her father. After everything that happened, she didn't know how to react. Knowing that the grail wouldn't have been able to grant her wish, nor anyone's for that matter... what did it left them with?

She searched for an answer in the only person she believe could have them.

Mordred had a number of questions to ask him, such as if it was true if the girl known as Manaka really was his former Master. And if so, what happened between the two of them in the past? Had he known about the secret behind the grail? And...

 _"Mordred, move!"_

Curling her hands into fists, she knew that as much as she wanted to ask these questions, seeing her father's back was enough to tell her that he wasn't going to be answering any of them anytime soon. With everything that's happened, it wasn't-

...!

At this, she blinked in surprise. Just when did it happen?

Mordred would be the first person to admit that she was a rather violent muscle-brained idiot, something that she would admit only to herself that is. As such, she couldn't help but wonder to herself...

Just when did she become considerate of her father...?

"Mordred..."

She froze up slightly in surprise when she heard her father calling out to her.

"I know that you have your questions, and I'll answer any you want answered..." He began, turning to look at his offspring. " But right now, I want you to check on the others first. Go make sure that your Master is alright. I need to have a word with my own Master first in private."

"R-Right." The red knight obeyed, a rather uncharacteristic thing for her to do all things considered. She then quickly turned around, ready to leave.

"And Mordred," Arthur called out one last time, smiling. "You fought well today."

The red knight was glad that her back was to her father, otherwise, she probably would've died of embarrassment if he had seen the expression on her face right now. Saying nothing in response, she quickly ran in order to find her Master.

Jeanne couldn't help but smile as she saw this. Though a slow process, parent and child were mending the broken bond between the two of them, even if it they didn't seem to realize it themselves. It seemed reconciliation was something that was possible after all.

"I'm sure you have many questions as well." Arthur smiled crookedly at the young saint.

"Only one right now." Jeanne replied. "Did you know about the grail?"

Knowing that this was coming, Arthur sighed to himself as he replied.

"Yes I did, and I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I committed a grave error, one that I'm quite ashamed of now." The white knight clenched his hands into fists, staring at the ground in the process. "Back when you first summoned me, I had every intention of betraying you if the grail here in Trifas was as corrupt as the one I had seen sixty years ago."

Jeanne's eyes widened slightly in surprise at this, unable to speak as her companion continued.

"I couldn't allow what nearly happened back then to repeat itself. Anyone who would chose to get in my way, I would have struck them down, even my own Master. Those were my thoughts when I decided to accept your summons, a Servant who was summoned by the grail itself."

Raising his head, he smiled somewhat at the girl.

"However, I know now that I was mistaken. It's clear to me that you are not one to ever support something like the Beast. But I would understand if you chose to be angry with me for believing as such, and so-"

"Hehe, why would I be angry with you?"

Smiling sweetly at Arthur, who looked mildly surprised by her words, Jeanne continued.

"Arthur, you don't have to apologize to me about that." She began. "You merely believed that you were doing the right thing, I cannot fault you for thinking that, not when you did it with the best intentions. In fact, had I been in your position, I may have done the same thing as well."

"But still-"

He felt two fingers prod themselves upon his forehead. No sooner than that, Jeanne flicked her friend while giggling to herself.

"There's your punishment. Normally, I'd poke your eyes out. So be grateful okay~?"

Taken aback by her action, Arthur couldn't help it as he started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"It's nothing." The blonde male replied, calming himself down. "I really should've expected by now that you wouldn't get mad at me. You're just that type of person."

"What kind of person?"

"Straightforward and kind, a charming girl." Arthur stated, causing the young saint to blush slightly.

"Really now, do you have to say it like that?"

"I'm telling the truth." The white-knight replied, unaware of that such words come of as flirting to some, something that the young saint thought.

Jeanne sighed at this, having gotten used to her friend's tendencies by now much like he had gotten used to her.

"Listen Arthur, I-"

Before she knew it, the young saint collapsed to the ground. Before she passed out, Jeanne could hear Arthur's worried cries for her.

Unknown to the duo, from atop the edge of the hole leading into the chamber, a small creature with white fur had observed them both with interest.

* * *

"Are you sure it's wise to have Saber roam free from us?"

Back within there cave dwelling, Brynhild stated her question the young girl that now served as her Master.

"Are you doubting me Lancer?"

The young blonde asked as she sat down upon her throne of skulls. She should really get something else to replace it with. Skulls did not make for comfortable seats!

"It's not that, but I am worried that with him roaming free, he would eventually turn his blade against us." The teal-haired Valkyrie stated. "Wouldn't have it been simpler to just take him by force? Is that not what you desired?"

"I want Saber on my side, but wouldn't it be best if he came along willingly?" Manaka retorted. "Besides, Saber will join us eventually. He's my prince after all~!"

"Hah! A delusional little girl you are. Knowing the King of Knights, he would never join our group."

"Is there something you wish to say Rider?"

Materializing from spirit form, a black-haired male with tan skin appeared in front of Manaka. Together a white flowing cape, the newcomer wore golden jewelry and armor over his arms, legs, and neck. For his bottoms, he wore black pants and sandals. His clothes were all Egyptian in theme, which made sense considering who he was.

Ramesses II... who was otherwise known by name of Ozymandias, the King of Kings.

"Nothing at all. I'm merely looking forward to day that he and I can meet again." Ramesses replied with a smirk. "It would be quite an interesting event if I were to do battle with him again, this time with his new allies."

"Well wait a little longer okay~? I can't have any of you going wild just yet."

Manaka sighed. Saber really was the best Servant. Before thinking about their enemies, he would always think about things such as her safety before he would do any battle. Not to mention that he was always a complete gentlemen. Rider had this condescending attitude to him, one that she couldn't really stand.

 _'Saber... if only you were here~'_

With that, the young blonde began to daydream about her beloved prince... wondering about the day he would return to her.

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so ends CH15. And before any of you ask, yes, Manaka brainwashed the Servants under her command in order to make them subservient to her. It was the only I way I could think of including them without them being Alter-Servants (At least not yet ;D) as I felt them being edgelords at the very beginning of their appearances would be incredibly boring. And yes, Arthur-Alter will be a thing. Anyone who knows about Fate/Prototype should know this, as I intend to base it from there. But at the moment, it's still too early to actually include him into the mix.

About Manaka. When I began writing her, I imagined her as an unhinged person having become even more unhinged since Arthur's betrayal of her. I wanted to write someone who can alternate between fawning over Arthur, being the young girl that she is, and being a psychotic-loli-goddess within mere moments of each other. Did I succeed in that? Currently, she's not much a threat yet as she wants to see Arthur be the badass that he is first.

As for Sieg, think of Corrin from ** _Fire Emblem Fates_** when he uses his dragon abilities. Default Male-Corrin actually resembles Sieg to an extent. The Mordred/Arthur scene above is basically just a spur of the moment kind of thing. Don't worry, Mordred will eventually be back to her usual self later on.

* * *

 ** _As for those who had questions:_**

 _ **Code Zero:** _ Why should she even change sides? Angelica in Prisma-Illya didn't so much change sides as she actually became docile. And Manaka doesn't have Avalon, that much should be obvious. Darnicula was a little too ridiculous for me, so I decided to cut out his scene and just have Heracles straight up kill the both of them.

 _ **ilover145:**_ Does the second to final scene answer your question? :D I aim to give a steady growth to their relationship, as steady as one could get within a few weeks that is.

 _ **Black 13:**_ Don't know, don't care. Don't ask me about things that don't have anything to do with FMB.

 _ **Cain:**_ You can find out by reading the story. And you clearly underestimate and lack an understanding of Arthur's, and by extension Altria, abilities. He would have a hard time, but he can beat Heracles.

 _ **No need to weak:**_ These days I'm only a fan of the comedy such series produces. Don't ask me things unrelated to FMB here. That said, I always read reviews for both of my stories. And Ayaka will survive, but which Ayaka I wonder? :D

 _ **unknown:**_ Are you asking me to fuse Angra Mainyu and the Beast? No, I don't take requests.

* * *

That's it for now. Please review :D


	16. Act II-16: Day of Repose III

_**AN: Here's CH16 Folks! I hope you all enjoy, as a special someone appears near the end :D  
**_

 _ **Please leave a review :D**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 16:**_

 ** _Day of Repose III  
_**

* * *

 _"Burn her!"_

 _When she heard the crowd cheer for her execution, the girl choose to not pay them any mind._

 _"Damned witch!"_

 _"God shall see you judged!"_

 _In spite of the words of damnation all aimed at her, she could not bring herself to hate any of them._ _Why should she? They were merely following their beliefs weren't they? She had no right to judge them over it, even if it was going to now result in her end._

 _Death at the burning stake... that was the sentence they had given her._

 _Such a sentence would've caused any man, even battle-hardened warriors, to quiver in fear, for such a fate was beyond cruel thing to bestow upon someone, less of all a young girl who barely entered adulthood._

 _But the girl didn't cry nor did she fear what was coming. From the moment she had chosen to take up arms two years ago, she had left behind such feelings and emotions. She had already prepared herself for the inevitable even back then._

 _At her trial, she had been given a chance to save herself by refuting the notion of her beliefs... that if she chose to submit to theirs, then there was a higher chance of her life being spared. Any lesser man would've taken it, and she wouldn't blame any who would. But she refused to..._

 _No matter what, in spite of everything, the girl didn't want to believe that what she did was wrong._

 _All of it was done in the name of the Lord, in order to sooth the sadness that had instilled itself within his heart. How could ever regret doing that just to save herself?_

 _Thus, the girl refused and her fate was set... and she held herself with dignity as she made her way towards the execution grounds._

 _But, as the girl walked, one thought did trouble her that day as she reached for her chest..._

 _Her cross... it was a simple wooden ornament tied around her neck, given to her by her mother on the day she had left her village in order to take up arms._ _After she was captured during her last battle, it was taken away from her by her jailers._

 _It had always served as sign of comfort and support for the girl, knowing that it was gone only caused a sadness to grow in her._

 _Just as she realized this, an Englishman approached her with a wooden cross that looked like it was made right then and there. He offered it to the girl, tears streaming down his face as the she thanked him. She realized in the midst of all the damnation and curses, there were still those who wept for her sake._

 _Knowing this, she couldn't help but smile..._

 _Soon she was tied around the tall stake, the priest reciting a prayer before tossing the torch into the hay that surrounded her. As the flames began scorching her feet, the girl raised her head one last time and gazed up at the sky, speaking..._

 _"...O Lord, I give myself to You..."_

 _Those were the last words spoken by girl as her consciousness ceased._

 _The reality of Jeanne d'Arc had ended there... but the dreams of La Pucelle had just begun._

* * *

When Arthur awoke that early morning, he hadn't expected to bare witness to such a thing in his dreams.

In the aftermath of the Rogue Faction retreating and Manaka disappearing together with the Greater Grail, members of the alliance had all agreed on staying the night at the Yggdmillennia Castle. Those it suffered extensive damages thanks to the battle, most of the rooms were still usable and unaffected by the events of the night.

After Jeanne had suddenly passed out, he took her to one and watched over her for the remainder of the night. He guessed that he had fallen asleep himself along the way.

The young man had been sitting on a chair, watching over the form of his Master as she continued to sleep, who had a peaceful look on her face. In her current state, he once again couldn't help but note how ordinary his master looked without her armor and weapons.

 _'For someone like her... to have gone through something like that.'_

He had known that the young saint was someone of strong will, but he never really quite had a grasp of how strong it was until now.

Arthur once again couldn't help but compare himself to his Master. Unlike him, she didn't come to regret the decisions that led to her end. The white knight only realized that he didn't after some self-reflection. As such, he couldn't help but feel immature when compared to Jeanne.

True, while both blondes experienced different things thanks to the way they lived... Ultimately, the fact was that his Master was something of a testament to what the King of Conquerors told him last night. She had lived her life without the feeling of regret, and looked to be better off for it. Even the way she died didn't seem to affect to her, as in spite of it all, she was a friendly and kind person.

 _'It seems I still have things to learn...'_ Arthur chuckled mentally to himself.

Even in his current state, he was still learning from others. It was as Merlin said to him once, life was a lesson that never ends so long as you lived it. He briefly wondered how his old mentor was doing. Arthur doubted that death had claimed the Magus of Flowers. Some people were just too stubborn for it.

Remembering that night before his reunion with Mordred, Jeanne had mentioned someone that sounded to be Merlin. He still didn't have any proof, but it was something to ponder. If it was his old mentor, then the white knight would need to ask Merlin a few things, one of which was his role in aiding his Master.

That is, if Merlin ever decided to appear again to either Jeanne or himself next time. A rather flighty person his mentor was, making the great magus difficult to contact.

"Hngh..."

His thoughts came to end when he heard his Master groaning, looking to see the young saint slowly open her eyes as she looked around the room and laid her eyes upon him.

"Arthur...?" She said, blinking as her vision cleared itself.

"I see that you're finally awake." He smiled at her, helping the other blonde to sit up. "You had me worried last night, passing out so suddenly like that."

"I'm sorry, it looks Laeticia couldn't handle all the stress of last night." Jeanne replied, noting that appearance of room that both of them were in must've meant that they were currently residing within the Yggdmillennia castle. "What had happened while I was asleep?"

"Nothing that would immediately need your attention." Arthur replied. "After our friends left the premises, that girl who was bound to that wheelchair Fiore, became the new head of the her family and the Black Faction. She called for a meeting right after everything that happened, but since you were asleep, I decided to go in your place. I told them everything that happened last night... along with Manaka as well."

"How did they react?" She asked, causing the young man to sigh as he laid a hand behind his head.

"Most of them took it well, but I suppose that's putting it lightly. Well... the King of Conquerors seems intent on taking the grail regardless." Arthur shrugged, causing Jeanne look somewhat incredulous. "He has his reasons. According to him, and I quote:"

 _So long as that thing isn't set to destroy everything, then it's safe to use right? Then there shouldn't be any problems with taking it for ourselves!_

"Ehehe, that does sound like Rider I suppose." Jeanne found herself giggling.

When she first heard Rider's wish last night, she actually found herself expecting him to say something like that. She didn't really know the King of Conquerors well, but she could tell that much from what she had already seen of him.

Still, conquering the world. The idea brought a frown to her face, but so long as Rider was just about it, she supposed it wasn't something she could judge him for.

"As for the others, Caster of Black and Berserker of Black still hold onto their wishes regardless much like Rider is." Arthur continued. "As for their Masters on the other hand, they all understand the situation. They agree that if it came down to it, the grail would need to be dismantled."

For a moment, Jeanne wondered about Mordred and her wish.

Out of all the Servants of Red aside from Rider, only she had wish to make of the grail. Both Lancer and Archer had no wish, and Berserker, Assassin, and Caster of Red were traitors. As for the Servants of Black, she knew that Saber and Rider, had no wishes to make, and the white knight had just revealed that Caster and Berserker held onto theirs, leaving only the red knight left.

She wondered if Arthur purposely left her out... or if she had already given up on it already thanks to recent revelations.

If it was the former, then she couldn't help but wonder if the two would ever reconcile with each other. It was obvious to her at this point that both wanted some form of it to happen, but the two couldn't properly express it and thus made things awkward for both. A rather troublesome pair if she had to say anything about it...

Such thoughts filled her mind, but the young saint decided to cast them aside from now as she had other things to say to her companion.

"I see. Still, you should've waken me up..." Jeanne shook her head at her friend. "Really now, I'm the mediator of this Holy Grail War aren't I? Then it's part of my duty to preside over events like that whenever they may occur regardless of how I feel."

"Be that is it may, you also have a duty to Laeticia to care for her body as well." Arthur reminded once more as the young saint flinched somewhat. "After what happened, I made sure that you weren't disturbed by anyone. Scold me if you must, but I did what I believe was right."

Jeanne momentarily frowned at this, but quickly smiled in turn as she was also grateful towards her friend for looking out for her... huh?

Wait, there was Laeticia too... Why was she thinking like this?

The girl shook her head, thinking that perhaps she was still feeling a little lightheaded. With that, Jeanne decided to change the subject, a frown growing on her face as the next topic wasn't one she was looking forward to discussing.

"So then... how is the situation? With the people I mean."

Knowing what she was referring to, Arthur spoke.

"Don't fret, the situation with the civilians is being handled. You can thank Miss Fiore and her clansmen for that, as with their numbers and resources they're suppressing the panic felt by the city through a combination of hypnosis and their control over the local government."

"That's good to hear."

She sighed in relief. Even as far away the castle was from it, the attack performed by the Rogue Faction last night was too inconspicuous to not be noticed by the people in the city. It would likely take time, but given that Trifas was small size in size and somewhat isolated, the situation could be contained. The world of the supernatural would not be revealed, at least for the moment so long as everything went well in the future. She didn't like the idea of hypnotizing people, but felt it was necessary as well.

"Did we suffer many casualties last night?" Jeanne then asked.

At this, Arthur himself began to frown.

"Aside from Darnic and Lancer of Black, we also lost Archer of Black along with the Masters of both Saber and Rider of Black."

"I see..."

Jeanne knew that she felt something off from the moment she had awoken. Using her connection, she was able to confirm that the green-haired archer was indeed gone from this world. Despite barely knowing him, she couldn't help but feel sad for him and his Master. She also knew for a fact that some of the people who served Yggdmillennia died last night as well, there was no denying it considering the situation. She'll have to offer them a prayer later, it was the least she could do.

It was then that a thought occurred to her.

"Wait, if the Masters of both Saber and Rider are gone, who will serve as their replacements?" She asked.

"That girl known as Fiore. Archer of Black's former Master, has decided to take on Saber of Black as her own. As for Rider, he has contracted with a homunculus who had Command Spells appear on him recently." Arthur revealed as the young saint blinked in surprise.

"Wait, what...?"

How could something like that happen? As far as she knew, the grail only chose a specific number of Masters. Granted, the current grail war was an abnormality in itself with the amount of Servants being summoned, and that's not going into the outsiders who wanted the grail for themselves...

She would need to see to this new Master later on, if only to confirm him as one.

A knocking sound quickly interrupted her thoughts as Arthur went over to the door to see who it was. Once he opened it, there stood Rider of Red's Master Waver Velvet and Saber of Black's Master Fiore, the brunette's wheelchair being pushed by the former.

"Good morning." Fiore greeted.

"Ah, so you've awoken." Waver began. "We've been meaning to discuss with you our next step Ruler. Are you well enough for it?"

"Yes, of course." Jeanne replied.

With that, the two entered the room.

* * *

"Are you sure about this Sieg?"

Seated together inside the room of his former Master, Astolfo posed his question to his friend and current Master.

When the white-haired homunculus revealed that he had somehow obtained Command Spells, the first thing the young paladin was to try and deny him the chance of becoming a Master. After everything that had happened, he wasn't keen on the idea that his friend would join them in their current endeavor.

No, scratch that. Sieg was already involved. Together with a few other homunculi, they served as living batteries for the Black Faction Servants. Still, by becoming his new Master, his friend was far more involved than he was before, and he found the idea to be quite vexing to say the least about it.

"Is there something wrong with my decision?"

"Of course there is! Do I even need to spell it out for you?" The young paladin stated. "Since you chose to become my Master, you just made yourself an even bigger target! I thought you said you wanted freedom? Why are you allowing yourself to be bound like this?"

Yes, the pink-haired Servant had a point. From the moment he was born, or at the very least created, Sieg had wondered about the concept of freedom. He supposed it was something that was common to all homunculi, as his fellows from Yggdmillennia wondered the same things as he did. Astolfo's tendency to talk about the world to them only increased their curiosity.

But unlike them, Sieg had even pondered the idea of escaping from the castle more than once, but he knew that he wouldn't stand a chance should he be caught. As he was created to be one of the Servant batteries, he was an invaluable resource that they couldn't just replace. They would try to find the moment they knew he was gone. With their resources compared to a single homunculus on the run, the odds were heavily in their favor.

As such, he decided to remain at the castle. Hoping that one day he would have a chance.

And that chance soon came he supposed, but not in the way he expected it...

Caster's experiments on him new abilities he never could've imagined gaining. Not only that, his lifespan had been extended to such a degree that he can live for about a century or so before he expired instead of just a couple of years. And with the Rogue Faction attack last night, Caster had yet to implant a way to control him remotely. Meaning they had no way of keeping him here even if they wanted.

He had it, Sieg now had his chance... but.

"Indeed, when I first woke up pondered the idea of escape..."

"Then why didn't you take it?"

"If I had to answer that, then I suppose it was because of sentimentality." Sieg replied, causing the young paladin to look at him in confusion. "I don't exactly know why, but I couldn't bring myself to leave this castle for some reason. Not when it was under attack. In my understanding, I believe people would call it wanting to defend one's home? I was created here after all, perhaps I wanted to do my part to help defend it even despite how some of the crueler people here treated my kind."

"Hmm... I guess I can understand that." Astolfo couldn't help agree. "Still, for you to have a Command Spell appear on your arm... Say, what do you wish from the grail?"

"A wish?"

"You know, something you desire. You gotta have one otherwise the grail wouldn't have chosen you." The young paladin stated, causing Sieg to begin thinking to himself as he crossed his arms. Once he had his answer, the homunculus looked towards his friend and spoke.

"If I had a wish... then perhaps its for my own freedom?"

"That's something that you can get on your own right now." Astolfo waved off, taking note of the confused look on his friend's face. "Well, no need to rush about thinking what you want. You have all the time in the world now. If you want, I can help you find it."

"Will you?"

"Of course, we are friends after all!"

Losing Archer caused a great deal of sadness to form in Astolfo as he considered the green-haired archer to be a friend. Although they were temporary existences, they were still able to form a bond with each other.

Right now, he wasn't going to allow what happened to Archer and his former Master to happen to Sieg.

On his honor as one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne, he would make sure to protect him!

* * *

"Drinking this early Archer...?"

Once Reines walked into the dining room of the castle for breakfast, she came upon the scene of her Servant drinking together with Lancer of Red, Rider of Red, and the blue-haired Lancer that the Tohsaka girl commanded. Judging from the smell, as well as the latter three being out of it, she guessed that they were going at it for a while now.

"If you wish to partake Reines, then by all means." The Golden King stated with a smirk.

"I would rather pass." The young blonde replied as she looked over the other two. "Just how long...?"

"From the moment we came back to this castle. Lancer found out about his mentor dying, and came to me asking for something to drink." Gilgamesh replied, glancing at his fellow Servant of Red. "In the name of generosity, I decided to allow him, and the dog and the King of Conquerors decided to come and join us."

Reines blinked in surprise at this. She knew from Lancer himself that Archer of Black was his old mentor, so she supposed that even though the two of them were on opposing sides, Lancer still held their old friendship high.

But wasn't really that bothered her. It was the fact that Archer had acted out of generosity.

"I have to say, that's unexpectedly kind of you." She couldn't help comment.

"And you'll be wise to not make a joke out of it." He stated as his thoughts went elsewhere for a moment. Particularly, the information given to them by the King of Knights recently.

The knowledge that the grail wasn't really what it seemed didn't really so much as bother him as it did the others. In fact, it merely confirmed his thoughts that it really wasn't one just like he thought. If there did exist something as extravagant as the Holy Grail, then he would know about it.

Still, for their to be another group holding an interest in obtaining the grail and awakening the so-called beast that dwelled within it...

A smile found its way to the Golden King's face.

 _'This Holy Grail War is truly turning out to be a most interesting event. I never thought I could find such entertainment in this era.'_

He was curious to meet the girl called Sajyou Manaka. Though he disapproved of summoning a Beast that could potentially ruin his garden, he wanted to know what kind of person would desire such a thing. Was it truly insanity that drove her or something else? That was something that only he could judge.

"Argh..."

Hearing his fellow Servant of Red groan, Gilgamesh smirked once more as he saw the green-haired spearsman awaken himself from his sleep.

"Well that was something..." He muttered as he gathered his bearings.

"What's the matter Lancer? Cannot handle a mere drink?"

"There's nothing mere about what you give goldie." Achilles retorted, massaging his temple as a resolute gaze appeared on his face.

"After that nap, I've just decided is all. Once I find the guy who killed teacher, I'm going to kick his ass myself. I don't want any of you to interfere." He stated, before looking at the Servant of the Bow directly in the eye. "That goes for you too goldie."

"Hahaha! Then do as you please Hero of Troy!" The Golden King declared. "Let no man stand between you and your desire. If you seek to avenge your fallen teacher, then I shall support you in this quest of yours."

"Huh, that's not like you at all." Achilles stated in reply.

"Don't misunderstand." Gilgamesh replied as he smirked. "After all, the one who killed your teacher was another student of his, no? Then it should prove to be quite a spectacle to see a match between the Hero of Troy and the Slayer of the Gorgon."

Such a comment caused both Achilles and Reines to stare at the Golden King with flat gazes. That sounded like him alright.

"Perseus..."

The green-haired warrior muttered aloud as his thoughts drifted.

Having never met Perseus before, all Achilles knew about him was from hearing legends and stories about him from his youth. Knowing that he killed Chiron... he could accept that. After all, they were Servants fighting in a Holy Grail War. It was only natural to expect an outcome like that to occur.

However, according to the girl who was Chiron's Master, Perseus achieved victory through teaming up with Assassin of Black. Even with his skill, Chiron would have been overwhelmed against such odds.

While Achilles understood the necessity of pragmatism in combat and war, what bothered him most was the fact was that Perseus was a Greek hero and a former student of Chiron as well. By all rights, he should have fought with their teacher in one-on-one combat. Where was the honor and glory in doing what he did?

Had he no pride relying on someone like Assassin to secure victory? Was he not the hero who bravely faced the Gorgon and lived to tell the tale? He had heard so many stories about the man as a child yet this single act had quickly changed Achilles' perspective.

The Adamant Hero wanted answers, and he was going to get them one way or another.

 _'Be ready you bastard, because I'm coming for you!'  
_

* * *

"According to Saber, there's a high probability of finding this girl Manaka in Tokyo, Japan."

Seated together at a table were Jeanne, Waver, and Fiore. Arthur currently stood behind his Master with his hands behind his back.

"Japan?"

The young saint muttered in wonder. Yes, sixty years ago, the grail wars did take place in that country didn't it?

"Yes, and most likely, that man is headed there as well." Arthur added, directly referring to Shirou. "It's the only place I know of that Manaka would base herself at, but it has been sixty years. There's a chance that she has already moved on from there."

"It's still a lead nonetheless. It's better than nothing after all." Waver added. Right now, he was still curious about the history that the white knight had with the girl along with the grail, but that wasn't important right now. "Besides, I already sent word last night to the Association and they've already begun sending out agents in Japan to try and find this girl and search for any signs of Kotomine's group."

"You told them already?" Fiore asked. As always, Lord El-Melloi II really didn't waste any time.

"Only what they needed to know. God knows what some of those bloody fools would do if they find out what the grail really was. I wouldn't want to find out." Waver replied with a frown. "Speaking of which, I've also spoken with the vice-director about the future of your family."

"W-What did she say...?"

The young brunette began nervously. She heard rumors of how much an unforgiving woman the current vice-director could be. Granted, it was her grandfather that was responsible for all the trouble caused by their family. But as the current head, reparations now fell to her. And the director may want pay back...

"Lucky for you, she's willing to look past your family history." Waver replied, causing the girl to blink in surprise. "In exchange for the pardon, the Yggdmillennia clan must submit all the research and resources they've gathered over the past century. And any future endeavors shall be done directly under the command of the Director or any of her chosen staff. She says that this is her being lenient, so be grateful I suppose."

"That I am..."

Fiore replied with light sigh. As the new head of Yggdmillennia, she had a duty to uphold the legacy of her clan and that meant that she would come into conflict with Association at one point or another given her clan's stance against them in recent years. And with how the clan itself was weakened with the deaths of her grandfather, uncle, and aunt, the Association wouldn't pass up the chance to strike at them when they can.

To hear that the woman known as "The Queen of the Clock Tower" had chosen to be lenient with them... it was a measure of relief to say the least. They may have been put in debt but it was better than the alternative which was to continue the conflict her grandfather started. One she never really supported to begin with. She might have done so under other circumstances as per her duties, but the current situation prevented that.

The girl known as Manaka and group led by the priest known as Shirou Kotomine... they would have been too much for her clan to deal with alone. Allying with the Association was the only way she could think of stopping them. She knew that it would have costs but she believed it to be worth it so long as they could be stopped.

"Back to the matter at hand," Jeanne began. "Lord El-Melloi, just when do you think we can get word from these agents?"

"El-Melloi II," Waver replied, emphasizing the _II_ part of his title. "And soon I hope. For now, we're all headed to Japan. Much like Saber said, going there is our best lead. And sitting around doing nothing here would be a waste of time, so we might as well get moving."

"Japan..."

Fiore muttered to herself. She had never gone there before. She heard from the Caules that it was a wonderful place, but even her brother had yet to go there himself. What was it like she wondered?

Also, from what little she knew, instead of taking place in just one part of the city, the three original grail wars that took place there sometimes expanded beyond the capital and into the Greater Tokyo Area. She remembered her grandfather saying once that this was due to the fact that the founding families wanted to make good use of the leylines there, changing up the location of the greater grail each time the ritual was held. Though the main site of the battle was still within the capital city itself.

With that said, going there meant temporarily abandoning the castle. While she could trust the repairs of to the family servants and homunculi, it still meant leaving their main base of operations and going into unknown territory. They would be severely lacking resources, especially for Caster of Black. They would need to find a way to fix that.

"The latest flight that I could schedule is later tonight, so we all best prepare ourselves by then." Waver stated as everyone looked at him. "I had to call in a favor from an old acquaintance of mine. Speaking of which Ruler, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Do you feel anything strange?" The former suddenly asked. "Since the Greater Grail was stolen by that girl Manaka, I've been wondering if it's done anything to the Servants. You most especially since, in a sense, your Master is the grail itself. Being taken away from the land where it siphoned its power from worries me."

"Huh? Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with me at the moment." Jeanne replied, looking herself over. "Though I do understand your concern. Tell me, do the others feel the same way? And you as well Arthur?"

"No, I do not feel any different." Arthur stated, crossing his arms. "And the others also replied as such. Whatever Manaka plans, I do not believe she's done anything to the Greater Grail yet. For now that just means we have a chance to strike back and retake it."

"Speaking of which, where are we going to stay once we arrive?"

Fiore spoke up, catching the attention of the other three as they pondered the question themselves. It was a good question actually.

"A hotel maybe? No, something like that would be insecure even with the appropriate measures." Waver began to think. "Where else could we go? The Church? No, the city lacks an administrator at the moment thanks to the previous owner dying recently without an heir..."

"Ah, I might have a solution."

Hearing a familiar voice, the group looked towards the door which was currently open. They saw Ayaka peeking her head from behind it, adjusting her glasses so that they wouldn't fall from her face. They noted that she must've overheard them talking and got curious.

"Oh? Let's hear it then."

"I live together with my grandmother in Tokyo, we have a house there." The young blonde revealed. "Since it's the city where the Holy Grail War originally took place, that where we should start looking first right?"

"A house..."

Arthur wondered if what she was referring to was the house that Manaka and her family had lived in all those years ago. There was still the matter of Ayaka being possibly related to Manaka, and last night all but confirmed to him.

As far as he knew, even if Manaka was merely playing around, the fact was that she basically led him right to the teen and that couldn't have been a coincidence.

For now, Arthur decided that he should just wait and see...

* * *

"Where could it be...?"

Within the villa that belonged to the Red Faction and searching every corner of her room was Gray.

That morning, the white-haired girl went by herself to check upon the villa in accordance to her teacher's orders. And since she was there, she might as well take care of the luggage and other times her fellow Red Masters had and have them ready for transport later. She knew that they would be leaving Trifas soon. She didn't know when, nor did she know where they would be going, but she simply knew.

After having done that, the girl was now searching her room for _that_ item.

With everything that's happened, she supposed it wasn't really the best moment to give it to her ancestor. But she didn't see any point in delaying it any further.

Her family made a promise a long time ago... and now she had a chance of fulfilling it.

"Ah, here it is."

The girl smiled once she found what she was looking for. Hidden within her cabinet was a small box. Opening it revealed a rather worn out necklace, obviously not from current time period considering its appearance.

With this, all she needed now was to get her ancestor alone. Given the nature of what she held, it was going to be a private affair.

* * *

 _Today... it was today!_

 _She had been looking forward to this day for some time now... and finally it was here!_

 _The King was to come and visit the city for an inspection. Many people were excited as it was the first time he would be doing so since he ascended to the throne. Many stories have already been told about him, about how he once defeated a white dragon of incredible power._

 _She really didn't care for any of that. What mattered to her was that she would finally get to see her father for the first time...!_

 _With such thoughts filling her mind, the child worked her through the crowded streets of the city. Her mother would most definitely scold her for going out on her own, but she didn't mind. She could handle that, all she wanted was to finally see her father at least once._

 _She wondered to herself, would the King be able to recognize her...?_

 _The child doubted he would, as her mother told her that she had yet to tell her father of her existence, and currently had no plans of doing so anytime soon. She wondered why her mother would choose to do that._

 _If she was the King's child, wouldn't that make her his heir? If so, why choose to hide her? Was it because the King had already been married to someone else? Why didn't her mother marry him instead?_

 _Her thoughts came to an end when she felt herself bump into someone. Realizing that she wasn't looking where she was going, she noticed that she had ended up walking in a deserted alley. Looking up, she decided to apologize to the person she ran into, only to pause as her mind went blank..._

 _"H-Huh...?"_

 _Looking down upon the child was a man with hair and eyes much like her own. He was wearing rather simple clothing akin to a peasant, but she knew from the moment that she looked into his eyes, the man wasn't of common birth..._

 _"Haha, you should look where you're going young one."_

 _He laughed, but the child didn't really notice as she was too starstruck. She recognized him, this was the first time they met, but she knew him...!_

 _"Y-You're...!" Realizing what she was about to say, the man knelt down to her level and placed a finger upon her mouth._

 _"Shh! Can you do something for me?" He asked, the child quickly nodded. "Please keep this a secret will you? I don't want people to recognize me right now."_

 _"But why?"_

 _"Because it's more fun that way." The man replied as then took note of the child's appearance. "Hmm... there's something about you."_

 _It was only at that point did the child notice that her hood had fallen down. Realizing this, she quickly pulled it back up. The man found it strange that she react as such, but perhaps she had her reasons._

 _"At any rate, be sure to keep this to yourself okay? This my order to you as King, can you do this for me?"_

 _"Y-Yes! With everything I have...!" The child nodded vigorously. "Y-You can count on me to serve you milord! One day, I'll even do it as a knight!"_

 _"Haha, so you want to become a knight?" The man laughed, as it was something that was common for children to dream of becoming. "Very well, I'll allow it. Until then, behave like a good girl alright?"_

 _"I'm a boy!"_

 _"Oh? Well then, my mistake."_

 _He was sure that the child he was speaking to was a girl given his long hair. Looks can be deceiving he supposed. Either that, or the child was lying for some reason. But for what reason? Either way it didn't matter he supposed._

 _With that, the man left. The child gazed at his disappearing form as he waded through the streets once more. An awed look was on her face, for the person she had just met was none other than King Arthur._

 _"Father...!"_

 _An elated smile grew on the child's face. Even though he didn't recognize her, and as brief as it was, she was still able to meet her father!_

 _Just by looking at him, she was able to feel a sense of greatness. She wondered, if she worked really hard would she be able to become like him? No, there was no question. As the King's child, she would definitely be able to reach him!_

 _"One day, for sure...!"_

 _..._

 _She had believed as such... but life wasn't that simple._

 _"Why did you refuse to give me the throne?!"_

 _In the end, the two of them went on to kill each other atop that blood soaked hill. She demanded an answer from him, but he never replied. A cold look in his eyes as they fought with one another._

 _"Why did you refuse to acknowledge me as your child?! Do you hate me that much?!"_

 _It was a fierce battle, perhaps the one where she fought her hardest. But when she thought about it, her father wasn't even trying. Such a fact drove her to madness and rage as she attempted to kill him._

 _"Not once have I ever hated you Mordred. Even now, I feel no such thing..."_

 _"...?!"_

 _If that was truly the case, then just what was she to her father...?_

 _Her answer never came as her chest was pierced by his holy lance._

 _It was a fatal blow, one that would've killed anyone instantly. However, thanks to a curse casted upon her by her mother, Mordred temporarily revived and instinctively returned the favor. Once the deed was done, strength began leaving her body once more._

 _As she laid there bleeding to death, the Knight of Treachery couldn't help but reach out to him... her father whose back was now turned on her, managing to stand tall and proud despite the wound she inflicted. Even now, she couldn't help but admire him..._

 _"F-Father...!"_

 _A futile gesture as life left her body soon afterwards._

* * *

"For the love of god..."

When woke up that day, Kairi noticed that it was already late in the morning.

Unlike the others, he opted to say in a nearby cavern instead of the castle. He had yet come to terms in fully accepting the idea of an alliance with the Black Faction, but considering everything that happened so far, right now he was just being paranoid he guessed.

Demon gods, world ending destruction, this was far beyond his pay grade... He'll make sure to get Rocco to pay him in full for additional services.

With that said, he also didn't expect to see _that_ in his dreams...

 _'Geez, talk about a troublesome Servant... even in visions of her past I can't tell if she loves or hates her old man._ _'_

"It's about time you woke up, I was wondering to myself if you decided to join the land of the dead Master."

Mordred smirked at the Mercenary. Right now, this was her payback towards her Master for choosing to sleep in such a dank space. She was more comfortable at the castle, sleeping in a cave like the one they were in wasn't fit for a knight like her.

"And who's fault is that? Stop showing me weird dreams dammit."

"Wait, what?" The red knight muttered in confusion.

* * *

Sitting within a room located inside the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Shirou quietly read a book with a smile on his face.

"You bastard, how long are you just going to sit there reading that thing?"

...That is of course until Julian began speaking out his opinions. Ah, the peace was nice until it lasted.

"Must you always refer to me as bastard?" Shirou asked, smiling at the young man. "It hurts my feelings you know."

"I couldn't care less about your feelings." Julian replied, sitting across from the white-haired priest. "What I want to know is when will we make our next move. Since you allowed the grail to be stolen by that girl, our assault last night was basically all for nothing."

"I wouldn't say nothing." The white-haired priest retorted. "After all, we did successfully take down Archer of Black along with the Masters of Saber and Rider of Black. It's still a victory in its own way. And the only casualty we suffered was Berserker, though Assassin did lose quite a bit of their personas. Speaking of which, have you completed the process already?"

At that, Julian pulled out a class-card from his pocket. Printed upon it was the word ASSASSIN.

"I have, you'd be surprised to hear that they were completely willing to undergo it. Truly, the Hassassin are pragmatic warriors to the core." He stated. "With this, their numbers would be replenished once I re-summon them."

Shirou smiled at this. The Hundred Faced Hassan may have been considered the weakest among his brethren, but for the white-haired priest, his utility far exceeded his counterparts by a milestone. All they needed were better weapons and armaments, something that he could provide. And together with the class-cards, his personas could be replenished as need be. Never has there been a better combination.

"So then, what do we do about that girl who stole the grail?" Julian asked, setting down the ASSASSIN card on the table.

"We wait it out." Shirou replied. "While Sajyou Manaka did end up taking the Greater Grail, I'm somewhat positive of the fact that she will give it to us once we've dealt with the Red and Black Factions."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"No, of course not. We just need time to gather our resources, which is why I plan summoning one more Servant to our cause." The white-haired priest stated, and Julian knew that he was referring to the remaining two catalysts they had in their arsenal. "Whomever we end up summoning, so long as they are on our side, our odds would be better than ever."

"You should've summoned that Servant before we began the assault. Otherwise, we may have never ended up losing Berserker." Julian pointed out.

"That was a mistake on my part." Shirou muttered with a frown. "Perhaps I was already confident in our ability to take the grail. After all, we would've succeeded if not for Sajyou Manaka's interference. That girl truly is a mystery."

"What can you tell me about her?"

"One thing, and that she's dangerous." Shirou replied with full seriousness. "Sixty years ago, I considered her to be the most likely candidate to win the Holy Grail War, and she was a relative unknown at the time when compared to the other participants back then such as the Einzbern, Tohsaka and Makiri."

"I suppose I can agree on that." Julian nodded.

He had only met the girl last night, but already he could tell that she was not to be trifled with. Still, for Kotomine to believe that she was such a threat... just what was she?

"Now then. Off topic, how's your sister Erika?" Shirou stated, changing the subject. "I haven't seen her for a year now. I hope she's doing well."

"She's fine, going to school and all that nonsense." The young man replied as a frown grew on his face. "Must you bring her into this discussion?"

"Come now, I was only curious how the daughter of an old friend was doing."

"From the way I see it, you plan on taking her as your wife aren't you?" Julian stated with a snide look on his face. "I always knew you were a criminal."

"Now that's a rather rude remark. What happened to the boy who used to call me big brother~?" The white-haired priest smiled.

"Shut up! Don't mention that again!" The black-haired youth went red in the face.

"Ah, I still remember the days when I helped to change your diapers. Truly, how time easily flies~"

"I'll hit you!"

* * *

Watching the clouds in the sky from the edge of a platform was Perseus, the Gorgon-Slayer taking the time to enjoy the view. At the moment, the fortress floated above a vast ocean, far and away from Trifas. As far as he knew, it was making its towards the eastern country of Japan.

"Do you plan on staring at the clouds all day?"

Coming upon her fellow Greek hero was Atalanta, the Chaste Huntress walking towards her ally with her arms crossed.

"Care to join me? It helps to sooth the mind."

"I'd rather not, and that's not why I'm here." The golden-haired huntress replied. "I heard that you were the one who slayed Archer of Black. Was it true that his identity was none other than the great Chiron?"

"Yes, it was none other than him. I wouldn't mistake my old teacher for anyone else."

"Still, for you to even slay your old teacher... do you regret it?" She asked.

"Have second thoughts Archer?"

Turning around, both looked to see Lancer materializing right behind them, the white-haired demigod staring at the two with his usual stoic expression.

And for some reason, he was carrying a small bag in his hand.

"No, it's just that..." The Chaste Huntress began as a troubled look grew on her face. "I heard that a new enemy had taken snatched the grail away last night. You saw her, didn't you Lancer? Is it true then, that our new enemy is but a child?"

"Yes she is, but it makes no difference." Karna replied. "Whoever stands in our way, we are obligated as the Servants to cut them down for the sake of our Masters. Even if we must perform acts of cruelty as well. You should remember that, otherwise that girl may end up being your undoing."

"I'm not that foolish!" Atalanta retorted in anger as she clenched her hands into fists. "I understand fully that she is our enemy, but if it were possible, then perhaps she could be spared is what I'm saying. My wish to give salvation to every child in this world who suffers. If I strike one down, then what does that make me?"

"Then allow me to perform the act for you. That will suffice, no?" The Invincible Hero offered.

"That's no better, I might as well bring down the sword myself." The golden-haired archer replied as she sighed.

"To think that one can still hold onto their morals in our situation. You deserve admiration, Princess of Arcadia" Perseus commented with a smile as his ally frowned at him in response, something he took note of. "Oh? You do not wish to be referred to by that title?"

"Do I even need to answer that?" The Chaste Huntress shook her head before turning to look at her other ally. "So then, I also heard that one of the new enemy Servants is Heracles. Is that also true?"

"Yes, and from what I saw of him last night, I could already tell that he will not be an easy foe. His mere presence exudes power."

At this, Karna couldn't but smile internally to himself. Powerful opponents were appearing one after the other. As a warrior, he could ask for nothing more.

"I see, that's rather troublesome."

Having fought alongside the son of Zeus once before, Atalanta personally knew how strong her old comrade could be. And under the Berserker-Class, she knew that she wouldn't be able to take him on in a straight fight. Her best bet would be to fight alongside another person, preferably Lancer as he was rather powerful on his own to begin with.

She also heard from her Master that the former princess of Colchis now served as Caster of Black. Back in their original lives, Atalanta couldn't help but feel sorry for her as she knew that Medea was but a pawn of Aphrodite at the time of the Argo Expedition. To face her now as an enemy... the thought just troubled her somewhat.

 _'Well, I suppose that I just have to steel myself then...'_

...!

Her senses briefly went on the alert when she felt something being thrown at her. Catching it with one hand, she saw that it was an...

"Apple...?" Her eyes took on a certain glint.

"I hear that it's your favorite." Karna said, revealing that the bag in his hands contained more. "Eat up, and perhaps you'll be able to relax yourself then."

The golden-haired huntress eyed the white-haired demigod curiously at this. This was rather unexpected... was Lancer trying to do something? After some deliberation, she decided that he wasn't.

That said, she couldn't help but keep an eye on her ally as result. From the moment she had known him, she had known him to be quite loyal and rather emotionless and apathetic to others aside from performing his role to the letter.

"You have my thanks..."

With that, she took a bite out of the apple, savoring the taste as a smile grew on her face.

* * *

Later that early afternoon...

Outside in the gardens, a certain boy and his Servant were doing target practice.

Readying the pistol given to him by Kairi, Caules unloaded several shots into the target laid out before him by Berserker. Said targets being a poorly drawn monster with a bullseye painted upon it.

...!

"Damn..."

He cursed, having missed his intended target of hitting the center and instead shot parts outside of the circle. The young man felt that it was natural for him to miss. It's not like he would become an expert at firearms overnight. Which was why he decided to get as much practice as he can when he could. The Holy Grail War was going to get more and more intense now, he needed to prepare himself in anyway possible. For both his and Fiore's sake.

Caules was worried for his sister, feeling that a new level of pressure had been loaded onto her shoulders having been placed in the position of head of their clan so soon and in the middle of a great conflict in addition. Eventually, he'd need to have a talk with her about their future should they survive the war. If only to ensure Fiore's welfare as a person. As her little brother, it was his duty to make sure of that.

...!

"Tch, missed again...!"

"Aw, that's too bad for you Master~ Maybe you should try a little harder?" Elizabeth teased.

"Quiet you, I am trying my best."

Caules replied as he sat down on the ground. It was time to take a break, as he had spent the last remaining shots already. The ammunition for the gun was with the mercenary who gave it to him, so he have to meet up with Kairi later for a refill since at the moment he was away on patrol or something last he heard.

With that said, he then allowed his gaze to land upon Berserker, who sat beside him.

"What is it~? Don't tell me you've been mesmerized by my beauty~?" A smirk grew on Elizabeth's face. "I guess it can't be helped for a plebeian like you~"

"That's not it, I was wondering how you're holding up." Caules asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you didn't really react well to what happened to Lancer..." He said, causing the Servant of Madness to frown.

"Whoever killed uncle, I'm going to return the favor." The Bloody Countess stated with a firm look in her eyes. "It's the least I could do, after he decided to accept me after all."

When he thought about it now, Caules could understand her reasons.

Back when she was first summoned, Vlad had been the first to welcome Elizabeth with open arms whereas the other Masters of the Black Faction, himself included, were a little reserved about having someone of her reputation fighting alongside them. Caules eventually caved in to the idea once he saw the Berserker was actually rather friendly if arrogant given her background.

The Servants of Black didn't mind as well, but it was Vlad who got along the best with Berserker. Perhaps it was because he understood what she was going through? Vlad the Impaler wasn't exactly a popular figure in the traditional sense unless you were from Romania. Many saw him a blood-thirsty warlord thanks to mainstream media, most especially due to Dracula.

"Well, if that's really what you want, then I suppose I can't stop you." Caules sighed as a smile grew on his face. "Just make sure you don't do anything stupid alright? You can't become an idol if you're dead after all."

At that, Elizabeth grew a big smile on her face.

"Ahahaha~! Of course I won't! Elizabeth Bathory is going to take this world by storm one day!"

* * *

Allowing herself to sink deeper into the bath, Jeanne sighed in content as her body relaxed itself.

She decided to take a bath as she hadn't been able to do so the night before. The new head of the Black Faction was kind enough to direct her to a bathroom where she did her business. After all, Laeticia would become upset if she didn't do it, and she made promise to care for her body.

The young saint found herself wishing that there were inventions like this back in her time. They were rather wonderful.

"Ah~! I could find myself sleeping in here and not even notice it."

After the meeting with Lord El-Melloi II, Arthur decided to go out and patrol the area for now. Just because it was still daytime didn't mean they could let their guard down.

While he did that, Jeanne decided to go and visit the new homunculus Master who went by the name Sieg.

* * *

 _"Ah, so you're Rider's new Master." Jeanne greeted the white-haired boy who answered the door._

 _"Oh, Ruler!" Astolfo called out as approached the young saint. "Come in. I heard you fainted last night, are you alright?"_

 _"Yes, I'm quite fine. You don't have to worry about me." The blonde replied as she entered and eyed the other person in the room. "I'm here to talk with you for a moment if you have the time. It'll be a short matter."_

 _"Of course." Sieg replied. "What do you wish to talk about?"_

 _"Your name is Sieg correct? Can you give me your hand?" Jeanne asked as the white-haired homunculus did as told._

 _Rolling up the sleeve, she observed the dragon-shaped Command Spell that now marked Sieg as a Master. The young saint was immediately able to tell that they truly were a new set as opposed to having gained them from another. This was rather strange indeed._

 _"Can you tell me something? What is it that you wish for Sieg?"_

 _"That is..." Sieg began but was soon at a lost for words._

 _"Sorry about him Ruler, he's still trying to figure that out." The young paladin quickly stated to the blonde-haired saint. "Why are you asking?"_

 _"I was merely curious." Jeanne said in response. "For a new Master to appear this late into the war, I just find it strange is all. Perhaps it's just a strange effect of the grail that allowed this to happen. What happened to the Command Spells of both your former Master and Saber of Black's?"_

 _"Fiore took them. She said that she might as well since they would go to waste."_

 _"I see..." Jeanne nodded in understanding. She then turned her gaze back at Sieg. "I ask you this Sieg, do you truly wish to participate in this Holy Grail War? As far as I'm concerned, you can back out now if you wish."_

 _"I will fight." Sieg stated in response. "I don't really understand everything that's going on, and I admit that I'm somewhat afraid... but I already made a contract with Rider. At the very least, I should see it through."_

 _"Very well then, I accept your resolution." The young saint smiled._

* * *

While she still felt doubtful that he should take part in the upcoming conflict, she saw in his eyes that Sieg really was planning on helping Rider out as his Master. For her, that was more than enough, and she would respect his wishes.

 _'Wishes huh...'_

With that said, her mind quickly flashed back to the events of last night.

 _'That girl Manaka... she said she wanted to help Arthur fulfill his wish of saving his people.'_

From what the young saint saw that night, she knew that Manaka had meant every word she had spoken then. That she really was going to help Arthur with his wishes. And because of that, Jeanne began comparing herself to the younger blonde.

 _'Am I a good Master to Arthur...?'_

She just couldn't help but ask such a question. Jeanne had always felt somewhat selfish asking Arthur to temporarily forsake his wishes in order to aid her, and in the end he would gain nothing in return for his services. While he said that he didn't mind and was glad to do so, her mind couldn't help but ponder the question.

And this wasn't something she was pondering herself, but Laeticia as well.

In the back of her mind, there was a question that was being posed by the girl herself. Laeticia wondered if there was anything that could be done for Arthur.

Magic and Servants, Laeticia could get by all that nonsense easily, but she couldn't accept the idea that Arthur wouldn't be able to have his wish granted. It just didn't sit well with her either, but Jeanne found that Laeticia had stronger feelings on the matter.

And lately, the young saint had also felt rather strange lately... it was a feeling that was apparent whenever her thoughts shifted to Arthur. When she began to wonder what could possibly cause such a reaction, it was at that moment that she realized what it was.

 _'Laeticia... she must have fallen for him.'_

When she thought about it, the girl's feelings for him began as early as the moment she had summoned him. It would explain those flustered moments she had throughout her and Arthur's time together... at least, she thought so.

Perhaps she couldn't blame her, as Arthur was a rather handsome and kind person. And he always had her best interests at heart whenever he looked out of her, to the point that Jeanne felt he was somewhat overprotective. That said, she found it to be sweet and endearing trait of his.

 _'Oh, oh dear...'_

The young saint felt her face flush red as she realized what her thoughts implied.

 _'No, no, I shouldn't think like this.'_ Jeanne shook her head. _'He and I are friends, nothing more. These feelings I'm having... t-they're just Laeticia's!'_

So she thought to herself. But when the blonde realized that a part of her wasn't entire convinced, she frowned. She can't have these feelings, she can't!

So engrossed was the young saint in her thoughts that she was unprepared when the door suddenly opened.

"Jeanne? Lancer told me you were in here."

A familiar voice called out to her, causing the blonde to freeze up.

"Why is it so steamy in here? Oh, there you are..."

Arthur stated, his voice trailing as he became speechless at the sight before him. He was completely taken aback by the scene of his Master naked in the bathtub.

"Ah...!"

Jeanne squeaked in surprise, her face went beet red as she quickly covered herself to preserved any semblance of decency she had left, her mouth wide in shock as she couldn't find it in herself to even speak either. She buried herself as deep as she could beneath the water.

"So this why Lancer was smiling like that..." Arthur muttered under his breath as he quickly averted his gaze. "My apologies, I didn't know that this was a bathroom. I should've known better and knocked first. And my apologies to Laeticia as well."

Hearing him speak, Jeanne snapped out of it as she quickly pulled the bath curtain and hid herself behind it.

"N-No... it's alright. I know you didn't mean it, and she does too..." So she said, but that was a lie. She really did mind!

"I'll just leave you to it then..." Arthur began as he walked towards the door. "Again, my apologies about this-"

"Wait, Arthur!" Jeanne suddenly called out. "I like to ask you something."

The young man stopped, closing the door once he heard his Master's voice. Not wanting to risk another inappropriate gaze, he didn't bother to turn.

"What is it?"

The young saint could still feel herself blushing. She didn't know if this was the best time to ask her question, but they were alone and she might as well take it.

"Am I... a good Master?"

"Hmm? What brought this on?"

Noticing a chair within the room, the young man decided to take a seat as he and his Master conversed.

"It's nothing I suppose. I'm just wondering what you'll get out of all this once this is over." She replied as a sad smile grew on her face. "You told me once that you didn't mind not being able to have your wish granted, but lately I just find myself wondering it again..."

"Is this about what happened with Manaka?"

"You know me well." He heard her say, and that basically confirmed his thoughts. "I was wondering, what kind of person was Manaka? Back when she was your Master, and before she... you know."

Sighing, Arthur leaned into his chair as he looked up at the ceiling.

"I always found her to be something a mystery." He admitted, smiling slightly. "She was always rather cheerful. Even when we were fighting for our lives, the smile on her face never went away. I thought nothing of it back then, thinking it was simply her being brave. But, after what happened... I wonder if it was something else entirely."

"What do you think of what she's doing right now? She said that she wanted to help grant your wish."

"I'd rather she not. If she plans to awaken something like the Beast, then there can be no good that can come out of it." Arthur replied, somewhat in anger at the notion. "I keep asking myself how I managed to miss it... how I actually failed to notice that she was insane. If I had, then perhaps the children who died that day could've been saved."

"Wait, children...?" Jeanne muttered in shock.

"Manaka began sacrificing children to the Holy Grail as a means to power it." He revealed. "It was then that I decided to betray her, and you should know the rest..."

"I see..." She muttered quietly, feeling sorry for both the children and the white knight.

"You needn't compare yourself to someone like Manaka. As far as I'm concerned, you're a better Master for me than she ever was." Arthur added, and the young saint knew that he was smiling from where she was.

"Thank you." Jeanne said as she found herself smiling as well. "I suppose it was silly of me to even ask you these things."

"I don't mind. Besides, I like you better than her too."

"H-Huh...?"

She froze up once more, her mouth agape. Jeanne was thankful that curtain hid her expression, otherwise she may have died of embarrassment if Arthur saw her right now.

"I think it's time I took my leave." The young man quickly said as he stood up. "Again, my apologies for intruding upon you. I was only wondering where you were. If you'll excuse me, I have half-a-mind to find Lancer and bury him from the neck up."

Such a statement caused the young saint to giggle in response. Once she heard the door open and close itself, she knew that Arthur was gone. With that, she breathed slowly and she sighed. She sank herself deeper into the water.

Placing both hands on her chest, she gazed at the Command Spell that signified her contract to Arthur. She also felt her heart beating immensely.

 _'Saying something like that... you dummy.'_

The blush on her face wouldn't be going away any time soon...

* * *

"Well that was unexpected..."

Arthur muttered to himself as he made his throughout the castle, hoping to come across Lancer while he was at it. He really was planning on introducing Excalibur's flat side to his face right now in addition to burying him from the neck up.

"Honestly..."

Still, the sight of Jeanne...

 _'No, no! Think clean thoughts...! I'm not my brother!'_

The young man frowned at himself once perverse thoughts began to fill his mind. Kay and Merlin really did have an influence on him it seems. Shaking his head, he would need to distract himself with something in order to clear his mind. Perhaps sparring with someone would help?

"Um... Saber."

Arthur stopped in his tracks once he heard someone calling out to him. Turning around, he saw the Master of Lancer of Red standing behind him, a shy look on her face as the young man laid his eyes upon her.

"Oh, Lancer's Master. I never did catch your name." He stated.

"It's Gray..." She replied quietly.

"I see, a pleasure then Gray." He said. "Did you need me for something?"

After saying that, an awkward silence began between the two.

During it, Arthur couldn't help but note that the girl really had a rather strong resemblance to Mordred, only she had snow-white hair. But it wasn't the only thing that bothered him. There was something about her, but he couldn't really figure out what. The more he stared at the girl in front of him, the more the feeling gnawed at him.

 _'Snow white hair...'_

That's right, _she_ had hair like that too... didn't she? Perhaps he was merely feeling nostalgic.

Though either way, it wasn't the time for that. Right now, there was the matter of the girl herself apparently wanting to speak with him for some reason. From the looks of it, she was feeling rather nervous as she fidgeted somewhat.

"Uh... are you alright?"

"Y-Yes...!"

The girl stuttered somewhat. Realizing her folly, she relaxed and took a deep breath. After a few moments, she regained her composure and spoke again.

"I need to talk to you in private." The girl stated as she looked around their surroundings. "Not here. What I want to discuss is... a family affair."

"And how does that include me...?" Arthur asked, now starting to get a little confused.

"Well... that's because _you_ are my great ancestor."

"W-What...!?"

* * *

"Alright, we're here. Now then, explain."

Having made their way towards the forest, Arthur eyed the girl calling herself Gray with a serious look on his face.

"I know that it's difficult to believe, but it's the truth..." The girl replied, looking troubled at his reaction. "You are my ancestor, and I am your descendant."

"How would that even be possible? My children-!"

Arthur began but paused as he frowned angrily as old memories began to surge throughout his mind, good and bad.

There were some things he just didn't want to remember, this being one of them, as it served to remind him that he was a rather poor parent.

He couldn't protect him... and he ended up killing her.

Yet Gray claimed she was of his blood? How in the world would that even be possible?

But, when he gazed at the girl, he could tell that she was being sincere. With that, he had to consider the possibility of it, yet...

"Both of my children died... one at my hand and the other to natural causes." Arthur stated, a sorrowful look in his eyes as he stared at the girl. "What you're saying is... I'm sorry, but I just can't find it in myself to believe you."

"Then, would you believe me if it came from this person?"

Taking out a small box from her coat, the white-haired girl opened it to reveal a rather worn out necklace. It took him a moment, but Arthur realized that he had seen said necklace before. After all, why wouldn't he recognize it?

It was the one he made for Guinevere... on the day he had proposed to her.

"Where did you...?" He said, taking the necklace into his hands.

Before he knew it, his vision was blinded by white as he suddenly found himself standing in the middle of a garden.

It was a place he recognized as the one that belonged to his former castle actually. He even saw said building as he looked around. Was it an illusion? He couldn't tell, and why was it all here?

Gray was gone, and Arthur began wondering if this was all just some sort of-

"Arthur!"

The white knight felt his eyes go wide in shock as he heard an incredibly familiar voice. A voice that was always felt much like a lovely tune to him, one that he could never tire of no matter how many times he heard it.

With that, Arthur turned around to face the source of the voice. He found himself at a lost for words once he did.

"After all this time... I never dreamed...!"

A woman stood behind him, tears in her eyes as she covered her mouth with both hands. Her beauty indescribable as it always was for the young man, as though she had stepped out of a painting. Her blue eyes went well the snow-white hair that flowed freely behind her back.

Unable to mistake her for anyone else, Arthur called out her name.

"Guinevere...!?"

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

That's CH16 folks, the stage is shifting to Japan. But before that, Guinevere makes an appearance!

And yes, I've been planning on using Guinevere here since the beginning. I always thought she was an underused character in both official and fanfiction works. Not many stories focus on her, so I decided why not? That said, my use of her in FMB will be rather limited, but important. In relation to this, I also decided to make Gray an actual blood descendant of Arthur instead of being a just a relative. And I based FMB-Guinevere's appearance off hers somewhat.

I also had Shirou take part in raising Julian :D There was a reason why he's not as much an dick here than in Prisma-Illya, and that was it.

As for the bath scene, I based that somewhat off on the novels. Honestly, I'm actually something of a Sieg/Jeanne shipper. So it actually felt weird to write Sieg and Jeanne in knowing that they won't be together. Though lately that isn't the case anymore since after examining it, it was rather forced to begin with. Which I hope to avoid in regards to the Arthur/Jeanne pairing. That and Sieg/Astolfo honestly have more chemistry than Jeanne/Sieg XD

* * *

 ** _As for those who had questions:_**

 _ **Code Zero:**_ What? Nine-Lives is a bow technique, which is why Archer-Class is considered to be Heracles' best class. True, he could use it in different styles but long range is the way to go (Personal belief). And why would Manaka want to give him back his sanity? He's a Berserker-Class for god's sake, he works best when insane. That and he's already so powerful that the thought doesn't even occur to her.

 _ **Cain:**_ Arash doesn't have a card, where'd you even get that idea? The class-cards are the system used by the Rogue Faction, not Manaka. She doesn't need it, not with what she can do anyway. And Altria wasn't at full power since she was gimped by Shirou and had bad compatibility with Kiritsugu. And while I'll use the UBW route as a reference together with the other routes for a fight between him and Heracles, Proto-Gilgamesh is more of a battle-hungry warrior than FSN-Gilgamesh is. He likes to enjoy his fights, meaning he won't be using Enkidu unless he's desperate to win.

 ** _No need to weak:_** Julian calls Shirou a bastard because he's a dick XP and because they were so close to obtaining the grail but Shirou decided to give up on it. He knew Manaka was a danger, but since he hasn't really known her long yet, he didn't really know how much aside from having command over Berserker-Heracles and Lancer-Brynhild.

* * *

That's it for now, please leave a review :D


	17. Act II-17: Reunion and Parting

**_AN: Here's CH17 folks! I hope you all enjoy it. Please review :D_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 17:_**

 ** _Reunion and Parting_**

* * *

 _~Winter/5th Century A.D.~_

 _"Honestly, the things I always end up doing for him..."_

 _As the snow started to fall, Arthur muttered to himself as he walked through a forest alone. In his hand was a satchel carrying game he had successfully hunted._

 _Earlier that day the two of them were tasked with hunting for food and materials by their father. While Arthur ended up doing his share of the work dutifully, Kay had run off on him since he wanted to go court one of the local girls in the town they lived in._

 _To be frank, the young teen never really understood his brother's, and Merlin now that he thought about it, obsession with women. Whether it was because they wanted to settle down with one in the future or if it was because they simply wanted to just sate their own lust, Arthur could never tell. And how his brother would always managed to shift his workload to the young blonde was something he was still trying to figure out after all this time._

 _-A younger sibling should always listen to their older sibling! It's one of the rules of nature!-_

 _"Is what he said..."_

 _Arthur muttered as he found himself smiling. Kay would often find the most ridiculous of excuses to just so he could get his way. And somehow he always ended up just going with it. He didn't know if it was thanks to his own foolishness or if it was because of family ties. Perhaps both actually._

 _As for himself, he never really pondered the idea of courting someone yet. While he did have an interest in the opposite sex, the though just never really occurred to him. He wondered if one day he would meet someone, but perhaps that wasn't going to happen anytime soon._

 _Not with the training he was still going through that is. Though a good person, Merlin was something of taskmaster who enjoyed seeing him struggle. And his father wasn't one to hold back during spars either._

 _"Ah...!"_

 _The young teen's mind quickly went on the alert when he heard a feminine cry. Looking around, he went towards the direction of where the cry came from._

 _Eventually, Arthur arrived at a small clearing where he came upon an unusual sight._

 _"Ugh..."_

 _There on the ground was a girl around his age, hair as white as the snow that fell from the sky. She wore clothes that immediately told Arthur that the girl was of noble blood, and judging from the way said clothes were disheveled and dirtied, she must have had an accident or something._

 _As the knight-in-training that he was, he couldn't help but go and aid her._

 _"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, as the girl turned around to face him._

 _The young blonde quickly found himself at a lost for words once she did, as he was somewhat stunned by how beautiful the girl was. Her eyes were a deep blue, and Arthur would be lying if he said that they weren't mesmerizing. It complimented her hair-color well, giving the girl a somewhat ethereal look to her._

 _"A snow angel..." He muttered subconsciously._

 _"H-Huh...?"_

 _When heard the girl confused tone, Arthur realized what he just said and blushed somewhat in embarrassment._

 _Shaking his head vigorously, he quickly snapped himself out of it as the girl called out to him._

 _"Are you a local...?"_

 _"I-I am." Arthur began, still trying to shake off his earlier embarrassment. "Are you alright? What happened...?"_

 _As it turned out, the girl really was the daughter of a nobleman, having come from the city of Camelot. When Arthur asked why she was so far out on her own, the girl replied it was because she, her father, and a few of their guards were resting at a nearby camp after travelling a great distance between one city to the next on their way to visit a family friend._

 _While resting, the girl decided to explore a bit to sate her boredom, but ended up getting herself lost in the process. At one point, she tripped and landed into the clearing from a short drop, leading to her meeting Arthur._

 _"I think I can help you... can you stand?" He asked._

 _"I can't, I hurt my leg from that drop..." She replied._

 _"I see, then I suppose there's no helping it."_

 _Before she knew it, the girl found herself being carried piggyback style on the boy's back as he made sure the satchel was tied firmly to his front._

 _"Are you sure this alright? I mean, you're already carrying something..."_

 _"Don't worry, this is easy for me." Arthur assured with a smile on his face. "Anyway, do you remember where your camp is?"_

 _"I'm sorry, but I can't..." The girl replied dejectedly._

 _"Well I suppose we'll just have to find them together then."_

 _Arthur simply stated as the girl blinked at him in surprise. Was he really intending on helping her out? Doing so could lead to hours of searching as she was able to tell the forest was quite large. Not knowing where to look doubled that. Didn't he have other things to do?_

 _'This person... he's quite kind.'_

 _While she wasn't exactly an expert at reading people, she was at least able to tell that the boy carrying her was earnest in his desire to aid her. Knowing that, she couldn't help but smile at him as she allowed herself to relax onto his back. It provided a warm contrast to the cold winter that surrounded the two..._

 _Thinking this, she also noted that she had yet to ask for the boy's name._

 _"Your name... what is it?"_

 _"Huh? Oh, my name is Arthur." He said as he turned his head slightly to gaze at the girl._

 _She then suddenly smiled at the young blonde, causing him to blush slightly as he was reminded of her beauty._

 _"My name is Guinevere, pleased to meet you."_

* * *

At that moment, time stood still for Arthur as he remembered that winter day and his first meeting with his wife, still unable to comprehend as to why _she_ was in front of him and the situation that they were in.

"Guinevere...? But, how...?" He said, still stunned.

She was as beautiful as ever, much like how he last saw her. And that was when he had banished both her and Lancelot from Camelot. After that, he hadn't heard from her since. He always wondered what became of his wife, wondering if she was living well after the fall of Camelot. He had so many questions to ask, and he didn't know where to start except for one that was at the forefront of his mind...

Just why was she here? Was she an illusion? Some sort of trick? He couldn't tell, and he didn't think he wanted to know either. Even if it was all just some part of a grand illusion, he wanted it to last a little longer.

Guinevere could barely contain the tears that threatened to fall from the corners of her eyes. Here he was, right in front of her. Even after all this time, he was still as glorious as he was when she last saw him. After years and years of waiting, she finally managed to meet him again. It was a dream turned reality for her...!

She opened her mouth to speak, for the first time since their parting. But the young woman couldn't find the words to say what she wanted. More than anything, she just wanted to be able to talk to him again, to run into her husband's arms and be held by him. She wanted that more than anything else in the world! But...

 _'I have no right...'_

Guinevere couldn't bring herself to do it as well. After what had happened all those years ago... she really didn't have the right. She had betrayed his trust, her affair with Lancelot breaking the unity of the Round Table, giving Mordred her chance at rebellion and resulting in Arthur's death.

No amount of words would be able to express her guilt and sorrow for her part in her husband's demise. She no longer even had the right to call him her husband.

...!

Before she even realized it, Arthur had already closed the distance between the two of them as he embraced her much to her surprise.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The young man said, allowing himself to relax as he took in Guinevere's scent, which to him was a wonderful fragrance. He was convinced now, this was no illusion. It really was her. Whatever it was the allowed this meeting to be possible, for them to be reunited like this, he was grateful for it.

When Arthur noticed that Guinevere had gone silent, he decided to call out to her.

"Is something the matter?

"It has..." She replied quietly. "Why are you doing this so suddenly...?"

"Do I need a reason to embrace my Queen?" Arthur smiled in response as the two gazed at each other. "Have you been well?"

That was enough. To hear him say that to her, it was more than enough to break the barriers that contained her tears she allowed them to flow freely, finally returning the embrace Arthur had her in as Guinevere began crying her heart out.

Truly, it was a reunion that could've only been brought forth by a miracle.

* * *

"Tell me Master, what is your relation to that boy known as Julian?"

Walking together through the hallways of the fortress, Semiramis posed her question to Shirou. Who in turn, looked at the raven-haired beauty curiously.

"Is there something you wish to know?"

"Nothing, I'm merely sating my curiosity." The Assyrian Queen replied. "I just find it rather strange. From what I have seen of him, Julian Ainsworth doesn't seem to be the type of person who would willingly work alongside someone such as yourself. His mannerisms speak of an overwhelming ego, to the point that I might suggest he would at one point betray us should the opportunity arise."

At this, Shirou groaned. This was a topic some of his previous associates have talked to him about before. By now, he had gotten used to it. He really should talk to Julian about how he presents himself, otherwise people would forever get the wrong impression about him.

"Do not let how he acts get to you. I've known Julian since he was a boy, he's not going to betray us. At least, not when the partnership is mutually beneficial." The young man replied. "That, and I do place an amount of trust in him, even helped raise him since I was partners with his grandfather decades ago."

"Was this during the Grail War sixty years ago?"

"No, no, this was after that." Shirou clarified. "At any rate, while I doubt that Julian would try something, I can understand your concerns. But have a little faith in our comrades no? There's not much to be had among allies bicker among themselves even when they're fighting a war."

"Very well then Master, I'll do as you wish." The raven-haired beauty replied. "Another question. Just who are these people known as the Ainsworth? As you said, there's not much to be had among allies who bicker among themselves, but the same goes for those who do not know the people they are working with."

"Ah, that's right. I haven't told you about that yet." He stated in realization. "Ah, but where to begin?"

After taking a moment to himself, the white-haired priest continued.

"To start with, the Ainsworth are a magus family that's over a thousand years old by now." Shirou began. "They're a rather secretive bunch, even among magi, and I only came across them when I met Darius Ainsworth, Julian's grandfather, while travelling the middle east. I befriended him, and we both discovered that we desired to save humanity in our own way. After some deliberation, we decided to work together instead. Better to work with those of like minded nature after all."

"Save the world? In what form are we speaking about?"

"Ensuring that the world doesn't die out thanks to degradation." Shirou revealed. "By nature, things can only last for so long in this world, and that includes the planet itself as well. The Ainsworth fear that with the death of the world, the extinction of humanity would soon follow. As such, they've been working to find ways to avoid such an event... at one point even considered creating their own version of the Holy Grail War, which lead to the creation of the Class-Cards actually."

"Is that so? What stopped them from going through with it?"

"The knowledge that Darnic Prestone had been working on creating a perfect replica of the original greater grail." The white-haired priest replied. "By the time I relayed this information to them, it was already apparent to them that without the original blueprints, trying to replicate the greater grail would end in failure. And since they didn't have the patience to start from scratch, it was decided that one of their own would infiltrate the family as a friend."

"And then that boy Julian was the one to be chosen..."

"Must you people speak of old news?"

A voice called as the Master and Servant duo came across Julian himself looking rather displeased. Accompanying him were Angelica and Beatrice, the latter of which was busy fawning over the black-haired youth.

"There's nothing wrong with a history lesson is there?" Shirou asked.

"When the student is someone who isn't long for the world, I don't see the point." Julian replied.

"Ah, but the same could be said about _you_. After all, we all die at some point no? As is the nature of the world." Semiramis stated with a smirk as the black haired youth frowned in response. "You should choose your words carefully boy, otherwise you may come off as a fool at times."

"Take that back you old hag! No one insults Lord Julian and gets away with it!"

Beatrice snapped at the raven-haired beauty, who merely took her insult in stride as the smirk on her beautiful face widened.

"This coming from a mere doll~? You may want to grow up a little more if you wish to even come near my level little girl. Though I doubt that would even be possible."

"The hell was that?!"

"Enough!"

Both Shirou and Julian exclaimed, sighing in the process as they gazed at the arguing duo. Feeling embarrassed, Beatrice quietly apologized to the latter all the while glaring at the Assyrian Queen who merely played off the exchange as though it never even occurred.

At this, the white-haired priest merely shook his head. Beatrice really needed to control her temper, and Assassin needed to stop goading those beneath her.

He would have to talk to both about it later, but for now, his attention towards Julian.

"Have you finished preparing the ritual?" Shirou asked.

"Already done, all I'm waiting for now is the catalyst that you're going to use." The young man replied. "So then, what will it be? Will you chose the sword or the spear?"

"I think of going with the sword this time. After all, we have yet to summon a Saber-Class Servant of our own, no?"

"True, but there's a chance of it summoning another Servant-Class altogether. I suppose we'll just deal with it later." Julian stated. "From what era was that sword from again?"

"According to the person I got it from, it was apparently made sometime during the late twelfth century."

* * *

"Out of all the places untouched by the battle, the library is one of them."

After his earlier practice with Berserker, Caules made his way towards to the castle library. Said place was filled to the brim with knowledge collected by the various clan members of Yggdmillennia over the turn of the last century. He would be lying if he said that there was anything in here that caught his interest. Even he wasn't all that talented as a magus, he still liked learning about a little. It provided a way to pass the time when bored.

Since they were heading over to Japan that night, his sister had tasked him to help Caster and Roche collect anything that could prove useful as a source of knowledge during their stay in the Eastern country. As they say, knowledge is power.

Speaking of his sister, Caules felt worried for her. After last night, he expected her to still be feeling down about what happened to Archer. However, that didn't seem to be the case. He just hoped that Fiore wasn't hiding her pain or anything like that. It wasn't healthy for someone to do that.

"Oh, it's about time you got here!"

Roche called out as he saw Caules at the entrance of the library. Together with Caster and a few homunculi Servants, they were all compiling what they felt necessary to bring along into a bunch of duffle bags.

"What took you so long? Are you trying to skip out on helping us?"

"It's not that, I'm just a little late is all."

"This is why I don't like people. Completely unreliable." Roche muttered as Caules couldn't help but stare at his cousin in annoyance.

"Now, now, Roche, that isn't how one should speak to others, especially a boy your age." Medea stated as she floated down towards the two. "As family, you both should try to get along with each other."

"Yeah, but..." The ginger-haired boy began but stopped once he saw the scolding gaze Caster had under her hood. "Yes, teacher..."

Caules couldn't help but smirk slightly at this. Wouldn't you believe it, Roche was actually being scolded by Caster like how a parent would to a child who was naughty. He found that it would do him some good to get lectured by someone, especially by one he respected.

"Now then young man, as for you..." Medea began as she gazed at the glasses-wearing teen. "Could you lend your aid to that girl over there? She insisted on helping with our work here. A somewhat persistent child she is."

"She...?"

Caules muttered in confusion, wondering who it could be as he directed his eyes towards the spot where Caster was pointing her finger towards.

There, he saw who it was. Her shoulder length blonde hair giving her away in the dark and muted background that was the Yggdmillennia library. Currently, the girl was standing on a ladder searching through a bookshelf that was up high.

* * *

"Now where is that book...?"

Ayaka muttered aloud as she inspected each title on the shelf she was searching.

This was so much unlike the library that her uncle had in their home. It was ten times bigger, filled with enough books to actually make a replica of said house with ease. She had to wonder how long it took to establish such numbers inside a single space.

"Nobility sure do live differently compared to us..."

"That depends on the people doesn't it?"

The young blonde looked down to see Caules looking up at her with a curious look on his face. More than a few seconds passed between the two, causing an awkward silence as Ayaka had believed he wanted to speak to her. But he didn't for some reason.

So, taking matters into her own hands, she spoke.

"Is something wrong...?"

"I-It's nothing." The young man blushed slightly as he turned his head away. "I mean, aren't you embarrassed? You're up a ladder and wearing a skirt after all..."

"Why would I be? It's not like I'm actually exposing myself since I'm wearing tights." Ayaka replied as she narrowed her gaze at Caules. "Looking up my skirt like that... you're not some sort of pervert are you?"

"H-Hah...!? Where did you get that idea...!?" He demanded with an incredulous look on his face. "A-And I didn't look up, I just said it... though that doesn't mean that it didn't come to mind-Agh! What am I even saying...!? This is awkward, I knew I should've just kept my mouth shut...!"

The young blonde found herself giggling at this, she hadn't expected the boy to react like that. Noticing this, Caules could only frown in annoyance as he saw her make her way down from the ladder.

"Sure, keep laughing..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just-"

Not paying attention to what she was currently doing, Ayaka slipped and fell off.

...!

"Oof!"

Once all was said and done, Ayaka found herself sitting on Caules' back, the young man in question groaning in pain.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" She stated and quickly got off him.

"It's fine...! Nothing like having a girl drop herself on me I guess...!" He joked as he got up and sat on the floor rubbing his sore back. "Be careful next time alright?"

"I will." Ayaka nodded before something came to mind. "Now that I think about it, we haven't really introduced ourselves to each other yet. I mean, I know your name thanks to the meeting last night, but we never really-"

"I get what you mean." The brunette stated as he extended his hand. "My name is Caules, pleasure."

"Ayaka, Tohsaka Ayaka." The blonde replied as both shook. "It's nice to meet you Caules-kun."

"Tohsaka huh..." Caules muttered. "I heard your family are part of the ones responsible for the creation of the Holy Grail Wars in the first place. I have to ask, why isn't your family participating in it anymore?"

"That's because the Tohsaka decided to work on other pursuits to Akasha." Ayaka revealed. "The death of my great grandfather and the grail being destroyed helped make their decision too. It just wasn't worth it anymore."

"I can understand that. So what's your family doing now?"

"Oh, right now, my uncle is the head of the Tohsaka Dojo, and my cousin Rin is the heir." Ayaka replied.

"Wait, dojo...?"

"Ahaha... let's just say it has something to do with how my uncle and cousins are now pursuing Akasha." The young blonde stated with a nervous laugh. "What about you? Your sister is the current head of your family isn't she? What do you do here?"

"Being her caretaker." Caules replied with a sigh. "Since Fiore was born a cripple, our parents wanted to have a spare kid in case something happened to her. But, since I wasn't born with my sister's natural talent, I was reduced to taking care of her instead. I guess that's life for the magus."

"I guess we're probably in the same boat then." Ayaka smiled at the boy. "Compared to my cousins, I'm not really all that good in magecraft. But I don't really mind I guess. I don't think I'm suited for that kind of life anyway."

"Same here. But I don't really mind helping to take care of my sister. I mean siblings have to look out for each other right?"

At this, Ayaka could only continue to smile at the young man sitting next to her. Siblings from magi family tended to be rivals with the occasional exceptions such as her two cousins, which by all accounts would have perhaps begun thanks to her uncle if not for her grandmother's intervention.

But the boy next to her basically declared he was fine being where he was, and it was because he wanted to simply care for his sister. She couldn't help but like him for that.

"I think I can get along with you Caules-kun, let's be friends alright?"

"Sure, I think so too." The brunette agreed as he remembered their current situation. "Let's get working shall we? We still have to collect the things we need here before we move out tonight. And I have a feeling Caster would scold us if we just sat here all afternoon talking to each other."

"You're lucky that I haven't yet."

The Servant of Magic smiled in amusement at the startled expressions of the glasses-wearing duo.

* * *

After having finished her bath, Jeanne decided to spend the time talking a walk around the castle.

While doing so, she noted that she actually felt more comfortable in the process. Perhaps it was because she was more used to the architecture than she was to modern day buildings. Although they were perhaps more safe and secure, lacked a certain elegance to them as well.

She pondered about finding out where Arthur went, but decided against it as she felt her face heat up once more.

 _'Why did that have to happen...?'_ The young saint thought and sighed. _'Now I don't think I can face him properly without that coming to mind...'_

Said moment quickly flashed itself throughout her mind, causing the blonde's face blush even redder. At this, the young saint quickly slapped her cheeks with both hands lightly as she regained her composure.

 _'This is no good, I need something to distract myself with.'_

Jeanne thought resolutely. As so long as she was doing something else, that memory wouldn't-Ah! She really shouldn't even think about it for a second!

"Oh! Well if it isn't Ruler! I heard you were already awake."

Turning around, the young saint saw Rider of Red walking towards her with large grin on his face. Currently, his attire was the same as the one he had worn throughout the meeting and banquet last night. In spite of knowing that he was a King, Rider had a very different presence to him in comparison to Arthur and Archer of Red.

"Good afternoon Rider. Can I help you with something?"

"I was just looking for the King of Knights." Rider revealed as held up a golden jug. "I've been meaning to challenge him to a drink off with this stuff that Archer lent me. As we're both Kings, it's only natural that he and I do so, don't you think?"

"I suppose so..."

Jeanne muttered as she tried to smile. Just when she thought she had something to distract her mind away from Arthur, Rider mentions him, causing her mind to start remembering what happened earlier once more. She shook her head, causing the King of Conquerors to look at her confused.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Jeanne quickly replied before something came to mind. "I'm curious Rider, I heard from this from Arthur earlier. Is it true that you wish to continue seeking after the Grail?"

"Of course, it's why I'm here after all." The red-haired Servant replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Aren't you at all troubled by what the grail is? I mean, even you should-"

"Ah, now I see." The King of Conquerors stated as he scratched the back of his head. "Indeed, the true nature of the grail is most troubling indeed. If left with no choice, I would destroy it myself if I must."

"If that's the case, then why...?"

"Because the one we're after isn't completely corrupt yet right?" He simply stated and grinned once more. "The grail is very much like us humans, or anything for that matter. It can be good, and it can be bad. But it's not completely in one direction right? If there's a possibility of it being corrupted, then there should be a possibility of the opposite as well no? If that's the case, then I see no reason to not continue seeking it."

The blonde could only blink slightly at this. She just realized that Rider's reasoning for his continued pursuit was actually similar to Shirou's to a degree. And while she knew that the latter couldn't exactly be trusted considering his attempted assassinations of her, she knew that both his and Rider's words had a degree of truth to them.

In the end, the grail was something that could bring either ruin or glory, it all depended on whoever wields it. They just had to get it first before Manaka or Shirou could use it for their own interests.

"Though your appearance suggests otherwise, I can see great wisdom in you."

"Hahaha! Now that's something I'm already used to hearing!" Rider laughed in response as he gazed at young saint. "What about you Ruler? What do you make of the situation that we're in? As the mediator of this Grail War, I believe your opinion would matter in the coming future."

Thinking back to the events of last night, the meeting with Manaka... Jeanne could only frown as she replied.

"Indeed... as the mediator of the Holy Grail War I find myself in a bind." She began. "All these enemies that we face, and knowing about the grail's true nature... I find myself fearing for the future of this world. So many lives depend on our success..."

"Tell me something, what do you think are our chances of success are in being triumphant against our foes?"

"Does it matter what I think?" Jeanne replied resolutely. "What I know is that we cannot fail, no matter what. And with everyone that's been gathered underneath our banner, I have faith that we will succeed in the end."

"Haha! Now that's a sentiment I can agree with." Rider said, seeing the firm look in the young saint's eyes. "You have steel beneath that pleasant exterior of yours Ruler, it's something to admire from a young woman such as yourself."

"Thank you Rider, that's a compliment for coming from you." Jeanne smiled.

"To that end, will consider joining my army?" The red-haired man suddenly grinned. "I promise you a high position for a saint such as yourself~!"

"Hehe, I'm afraid I have to decline."

The young saint replied, causing the King of Conquerors to shrug his shoulders in response to another failed attempt at recruitment. She knew it was only a matter of time before Rider asked her that question again.

"Ah well, had to try." Rider stated. "Anyway, where is the King of Knights? I haven't actually seen him around the castle."

"I don't know." Jeanne replied as a certain event came to mind, her cheeks reddening somewhat. "And I don't want to see him right now anyway..."

"Hmm? What's this? Did the two of you get into a fight or something?"

"It's nothing of the sort, I just need some time away from him. It's complicated I suppose..."

The young saint stated in response, her cheeks reddening somewhat unbeknownst to the blonde. A fact which did not go unnoticed by the red-haired King who merely smirked in realization at this.

"Hmm... now I see!"

"Huh? See what?"

"Nothing, nothing, never mind me!" Rider suddenly grinned as he turned to leave. "Well I'm heading off now Ruler. If you see Saber, then be sure to tell him that he and I should have a drink together. I'm curious to see how much of Goldie's stuff he can chug down, hahaha!"

With that, the King of Conqueror's left, leaving Jeanne by herself as she looked at the red-haired Servant in confusion.

"See what...?" She muttered once more.

* * *

"Even now, I still can't believe that you're here."

Saying that, Guinevere was sat right next to her husband on the ground near the flowers, leaning into him as they conversed. It was a pastime she very much enjoyed doing with Arthur, and it filled her with joy to be able to do so again after so long.

"Is it really that hard to believe...?" Arthur asked, before smiling as he pointed to himself. "Imagine if you were in my position. It's even more unbelievable for me."

"It's just that, I've been waiting a very long time for a chance to meet you again..." The snow-haired woman began as tears stained the corners of her eyes. "After a millenia had passed, I had started to lose hope. Yet, here you are...!"

Guinevere leaned closer into her husband, surprising Arthur who only smiled in response as he wrapped an arm around his wife as he held her close. After what happened back then, he never really imagined that they could be together like this again.

"I've wanted to apologize to you for so long...!" She said as her tears started to flow. "What Lancelot and I did... it was unforgivable! We betrayed you, I betrayed you...! I know that no matter how many times I apologize, it would never be enough. But still, I wanted-!"

"That's enough, I don't want to see you cry anymore." Arthur interrupted, gently wiping away Guinevere's tears for her. "You've already cried your fair share, both back then and now. And you don't have to apologize for anything, considering that I was at fault as well."

"No, you were...!"

"It's the truth, for I'm a failure as a husband." The young smile crookedly. "After what happened with Lucius... I buried myself in my duties. I wallowed in my own grief, and ended up failing to see your suffering as well. I don't blame you for finding comfort in Lancelot's arms, he was a good man, better than I am at least."

"No...!" Guinevere shook her head. "What happened wasn't your fault, it was mine! In the end, it was my actions that broke the trust that Camelot had, that allowed Mordred the chance to rise up in rebellion. It was all my fault, all of it..."

At this, Arthur merely allowed his hand to fall upon his wife's head, who looked up in surprise as he held her close.

"I suppose we both share the guilt then, considering that we each blame ourselves. If Lancelot were here, perhaps we could become a trio of sorts. " He chuckled as Guinevere leaned into her husband once more. "Now that I think about it, what happened between the two of you after, well, you know... did you both live well?"

The snow-haired woman frowned, looking towards the sky as she replied

"No, after what happened at Camlann, Lancelot and I separated." She said, gazing back towards Arthur with a sad smile. "We both felt so guilty for what had occurred, knowing that if it wasn't for the two of us, none of it would have happened. Sir Agravain's death, the deaths of both Gareth and Gaheris, Mordred's rebellion... we couldn't face each other without remembering our part in it all."

"I see..."

Arthur felt rather bad for them. Even after what happened, he had at least wish that the two would be able to find happiness in each other.

"After our parting, I decided to become sister at a church. The people there were kind to me, and it was good to live among them as part of their group." She smiled slightly, old memories coming to her. "As for Lancelot, I heard he became a wandering monk. But, I heard rumors back then that he sunk into madness some time afterwards..."

"Wait, madness...?"

The moment said word had been spoken, Arthur immediately remembered the Black Knight Berserker allied with the Rogue Faction. He wondered for a moment why that came to mind so suddenly when he made the connection.

It couldn't be, could it...?

If so, then it would explain the times Berserker would suddenly go after him or Mordred. Even during the battle last night, he could tell that Berserker was aiming for him when he first appeared on that fighter jet of his before the King of Heroes intercepted the Black Knight.

Still, Arthur just couldn't bring himself to believe it. He needed to know more first before coming to a conclusion.

And if there was a person who could answer it, then it was none other than Jeanne.

 _'If it really is him, did she know...?'_

"Is something the matter...?" Guinevere asked.

"No, it's nothing." Arthur assured, as something else came to mind.

Perhaps he should've asked this earlier, but the idea of reuniting with his wife like this had distracted him from it. Now though, it was time to know the truth.

"As much as it warms my heart for you to be here, I need to ask something of you Guinevere." He began as he held her by the shoulders. "Just _why_ are you here? How is it possible that you can be here, after all this time?"

The image of Gray quickly flashed itself through his mind.

"And that girl, Gray, just who is she...? She was in possession of the necklace I gave you when I proposed. She says that she's my..." He paused, frowning and unable to still believe the girl's words. "She said that you would know the answers I seek. Is it true then? That she's...?"

At this, the snow-haired woman smiled slightly as gently removed her husband's hands from her shoulders and took them into her own.

"Yes. As unbelievable as it sounds, she is of your blood." She said before suddenly her smile grew wider. "And she's of my blood as well. She and her family... they are our kin!"

Arthur widened his eyes in disbelief. It was only for a moment though as he managed to regain enough of his composure to speak.

"But... how is that even possible?" He asked, still unable to process the information. "Back then, our child... Lucius died. With him, our bloodline together!"

Back then, the two of them had been gifted with a son whom Arthur named Lucius, considering him to be the light that would guide the future of their kingdom one day. He was a precious boy, so full of innocence and wonder.

Also, through coincidence or fate, Lucius also shared a name with a later enemy of theirs. However, she believed that he would grow into a great man regardless.

Tragically, it never came to pass, as their son had suddenly died due to illness. It was an event that later drove Arthur and her apart as they both wallowed in their grief, one to this day that she regrets, and now knew that her husband felt the same as well. If Lucius had lived, perhaps none of it would have occurred.

However, she later discovered that it wasn't actually the case...

"Morgan..." Guinevere began, frowning at the mention of that woman's name.

"What about her?" Arthur asked.

"One day, while I was at the church, she came to me with Lucius in hand."

"Wait, what...!?"

"I know, I couldn't believe it either." The snow-haired woman stated. "When I tried to demand why, she said to me back then that I should do as I please with him, since she no longer had any use for Lucius with you already dead."

Arthur gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists at this. So his sister really did have something to do with what happened...! There was no other way to explain why she would have him with her. He had always suspected that his sister had something to do with it, but he could never prove it as he lacked the means to do so. Merlin was already gone by that point, so he couldn't ask for his mentor's expertise.

All he had to go on was the fact that Mordred chose to reveal herself to him a little while afterwards. And as ashamed Arthur was of it now, he had taken out his frustrations on her, an act which later drove her to rebel against him. When he had time to think about it, perhaps all she wanted was for him to just accept her as a father. Knowing that only served to further his guilt towards the red knight.

"Even now, I still can't understand why she would decide to give him back to me." Guinevere admitted, looking up at the sky. "Was it because she felt she had gone too far? Or was it truly because she no longer had any use for him?"

"Are you sure it was him? There's a chance that she was simply tricking you."

"I'm positive, a mother knows their child after all." His wife said, smiling at Arthur who only blinked at her response. "I don't know how she did it, or why Lucius was still alive, but to me it didn't matter. In the end, I had my son back. And through him and his descendants, our bloodline flourished once more."

"I see..." Arthur muttered as he began smiling.

All this time, all this time Lucius had lived! No words could describe the happiness he felt at that moment. While he felt sadness at the fact that he wasn't there for Lucius as he grew older, knowing that his son eventually had a family of his own... it was more than enough for him.

Still, it didn't explain why Guinevere was here...

"That aside, I'm still wondering what is all this." Arthur said, gesturing to their surroundings.

"Ah, about that." The snow-haired woman began. "Years after I was able to reunite with Lucius, he married a magus who had the ability to seal portions of people's souls into objects. I had asked her to perform the process on me, with the necklace you gifted, so that I may meet with you again one day."

"So this place truly is an illusion..."

"Yes. Right now, we're actually inside your mind. In a recreation of the place where you feel yourself most comfortable." She revealed. "As I lack a physical body, this is the only way the two of us could speak with another like this."

"You waited all this time..." Arthur muttered. "What made you believe that I would come back?"

"Merlin came to me in a vision one night while I was sleeping." She revealed, causing Arthur blink in surprise at the mention of his old mentor. "In it, I was told that one day, somewhere in this world of ours in the long distant future, you would come back. And that if I wanted to see you again, I should remain patient and wait diligently for an opportunity. It was a rather far-fetched tale to believe, but nonetheless I put my faith in it as well."

 _'Merlin...'_ Arthur thought.

"And now here you are, right before me." Guinevere stated as she stood up, gazing down upon her husband. "It must be a miracle that allowed us to be like this again, if only for a short time."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"The magic sustaining me has its limits, I can only manifest like this once." She revealed, a sad smile on her face. "After that, it's only a matter of time before I start to fade away and pass on into the afterlife. Still, it's alright... we have-"

She was silenced when Arthur stood up and suddenly embraced her, an act that was unexpected to the young woman, but not unwelcome as she returned the gesture with smile on her face.

"My apologies, but knowing that you can only last so long... I couldn't help myself."

"No, I don't mind."

* * *

Fiore sat by herself in her room, in her hands holding the arrow she had used as a catalyst to summon her Servant.

 _'Archer...'_

"Sulking by yourself are you?"

The brunette turned to the door in startled surprise, looking to see Archer of Red leaning against the frame with his arms crossed.

Whoever he was, Fiore knew that he was powerful thanks to the assortment of Noble Phantasms he could somehow use. That said, she had a feeling that wasn't even half of it, knowing instinctively that the Golden King had something else up his sleeve. Because of that, she feared the Servant of Red because of how much of an unknown he was.

"Staring isn't polite girl."

"Ah! M-My apologies." Fiore nervously replied as she regained her composure. "I just didn't expect to see you here Archer. Did you need something...?"

The Golden King didn't answer as he made his way towards the brunette. Once he did, Siegfried appeared glaring at the Servant of Red, his hand already gripping onto Balmung still in its sheath. Seeing this, Archer stopped as he smirked in response.

"Are you planning to fight with me, Dragon-Slayer?"

"Should you try to do anything to my Master, then I shall."

"Hah, you need to learn how to relax."

The red-eyed blonde stated as a small portal opened up above the palm of his hand. Out from it, a small vial appeared containing a blue liquid.

"What is that...?"

"A medicine that can cure any type of ailments." The Golden King replied, gazing at the brunette's legs. "Even paralysis if one desired."

He then tossed the vial towards Fiore, who having been taken aback by the medicine's existence, fumbled somewhat as she caught it. Once she did, she sighed before gazing at it intently. She then looked back towards Archer.

"You're giving this to me...?"

"Since your group and mine plan on working together, I will not allow any of you to slow us down." He simply revealed. "Though I see that you have a strong presence, your legs are a weakness that can easily be exploited. As such, I aim to fix that."

"How do I use this?"

"Simply drink it, and the effects will show itself an hour or so afterwards." The Golden King replied before smirking once more. "Be grateful girl, for this an act of kindness from the King to his subject."

"I-I am!" She bowed her head. "Thank you very much for this!"

"Are you sure that it's wise to trust him?" Siegfried asked. "While we are currently allies, it's still only temporary until we've dealt with the rest of our enemies."

"Hmph! You insult me with such words." Archer frowned and glared at the Dragon-Slayer. "Remember this, if I wished you all dead, I would do it while standing right in front of you, not with a dagger behind the back like how Assassin would. Compare me to such rats again, and I will end you myself."

With that, the Servant of the Bow left the room through the door, walking down the hallway with his hands in his pockets.

He then came across Reines, the young blonde leaning against a wall. She had a curious look her face as she spoke towards the Golden King.

"You're being unexpectedly kind today... did something happen?"

"Nothing that you would need to know little girl." The red-eyed blonde replied offhandedly as he left the area. "I just would rather have Saber of Black unhindered by his Master's weakness is all."

With that, Gilgamesh continued on his way as Reines stared at the fleeting back of her Servant.

 _'He says that, but he didn't actually need to give her that medicine. What a carefree Servant he is...'_

* * *

"I see, so Mordred has been summoned into this... Holy Grail War as well."

Having been told everything about the Holy Grail War and Arthur's part in it, Guinevere couldn't help but frown in sadness once she heard the name of that child once more. To think she would also be a participant in such an event when her husband was helping mediate it.

"Perhaps its fate's way of mocking me, to remind of me what a failure I was." Arthur mused with a smile.

"That's not right. Morgan was also at fault for what happened, remember that."

"If I hadn't rejected her then, that I properly acknowledged that she was of my blood... perhaps she wouldn't have rebelled." The young man sighed as he smiled crookedly at the snow-haired woman beside him. "I've come to realize it now. Not only was I a poor husband and King, I was a poor father as well."

...!

"...!?"

Before he knew it, Arthur found himself on the receiving end of a slap from the snow-haired woman. The young man was quite taken aback by it, as this was the first time she had ever performed one on him.

"G-Guinevere...?"

"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't stand hearing you talk like that anymore..."

She then held him by the collar of his shirt, looking him directly in the eye as tears threatened to fall from her own.

"Arthur, please stop blaming yourself for what happened in the past." She pleaded quietly. "No matter what, whatever you think you failed at, you did the best you could. Myself, Merlin, Kay, Gawain, Bedivere, Lancelot... everyone in the kingdom understood that."

"Even so, I-"

"What good will it do for you to constantly blame and belittle yourself!?"

Guinevere suddenly demanded, her tears now flowing once more.

"You are someone to be admired. You have remained steadfast in your righteousness, you never allowed your power to control you as most men have. And unlike those who fought for honor or glory, you always fought simply for what was right instead. There are only so few like you in this world of ours, which is why many look up to you."

She looked up at him, smiling as tears stained her cheeks.

"All who served you knew; that King Arthur was the greatest king among all and forever will be, and we were all proud to live under your rule as your subjects. If the kingdom fell, then the blame shall be attached to us and not just you."

Her hands grasped his own, gently tightening their hold ever so slightly as Guinevere continued.

"So please... stop blaming yourself."

With that, she finished, leaving the young man to ponder what his wife said.

In truth, her words to him were similar to what Jeanne and Rider of Red had told him last night during the banquet. In spite of what they said, their words never really got through to him. He was stubborn like that he supposed, something the young man admitted to.

But, with Guinevere's words... he found himself questioning his own desires once more.

Was it really alright? If she was anything to go by, Guinevere had already come to terms with their past. He had planned on using his wish to help her as well, to at least give her the life she deserved, but it seems he didn't need to. As she said, she and the others were proud to have lived under the rule of King Arthur.

Honestly not knowing how to respond, Arthur could only lay a hand upon his wife's cheek.

"Why is it that the only thing I can do for you lately is to make you cry?" He wondered aloud. "Perhaps it was as Kay once told me; I am an idiot. Considering everything that has happened, perhaps its the truth."

"Arthur..."

"It's alright, I'm merely making a joke of myself." The young man assured as he once more wiped away her tears . "If it's what you want, then I'll stop blaming myself for what happened. It's the least I can do for you after all these years. So please, do not cry anymore."

Guinevere could only smile warmly at this, leaning into her husband as she embraced him, an act with Arthur returned.

"Now that I think about it, I believe that both you and my Master would get along with each other."

"What makes you say that?"

"For one, I always end up causing trouble for her, not unlike how I cause trouble for you." He chuckled as a small grin grew on his face. "Perhaps it's a talent of mine to cause the women in my life problems."

"Wait, a woman...?" Guinevere's expression grew somewhat colder as she frowned slightly.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"What is this person like?"

She suddenly asked, staring up at her husband who found her gaze somewhat awkward at that moment. Not noticing why she was like that, Arthur replied.

"I admire her. She's kind and helpful, and a wise young woman. When I compare the two of us together, she has a far stronger will than I. And there are times I sometimes ponder that I could learn a thing or two from her." He said, smiling at the thought of the young saint.

"Do you like her?"

"Hmm? Of course I like her, why?"

"Hmm... you haven't changed."

Guinevere sighed at her husband. This feeling she had in her chest, it was a familiar sensation to her. Arthur was always rather charming. She thought it would only be natural if some became attracted to him, even after her marriage to him.

Still, she felt that she didn't really deserve to experience things such as jealousy. Not with what she did that time after all.

...!

The snow-haired woman felt herself keeling over. Arthur quickly knelt beside Guinevere in worry.

"What's wrong...!?"

"It's the spell..." She began, holding up her hand revealing that it was beginning to fade away.

"It seems like it has started to end." Guinevere muttered to herself with a crooked smile. "Ah, I so wished that we had more time to talk with one another. But I suppose that the world isn't kind enough to grant something like that."

Arthur could only stare in silence at his wife. Like her, he wanted to say more to her. Many things such as questions about what happened to the kingdom after his fall, how their son grew up after she reunited with him, and about her life in general after his death.

"Guinevere, I-!"

The young man found himself silence when he felt another pair lips fall upon his own, resulting in his mind going blank as he tried to rationalized what just happened.

Guinevere had kissed him, she was kissing him! It was an act which he soon returned with much joy as they both held each other as close possible, finally parting after a good few moments, smiling warmly at one another.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." The former stated, her cheeks stained red as she smiled at him.

"I didn't mind. In fact, I enjoyed it." The latter replied as he found himself mentally laughing at the way they were acting. It was as though they were both brought back to being their adolescent selves from before Arthur had drawn out the sword.

"Please remember, don't blame yourself anymore, alright?" Guinevere asked once more. "If you do, then I'll come back to haunt you~"

"I wouldn't mind that." The young man chuckled.

"Ehehe~! And please tell Gray thank you for helping realize our reunion. That girl and her family... they are all wonderful children."

"Indeed they are..."

Arthur nodded in agreement. The idea of him having living descendants was still a bit foreign to him, but it was overshadowed by the joy that he had felt knowing that they were proof that their son had lived, and perhaps proof that his life wasn't all for nothing after all.

"And about Mordred." She continued. "Even if it seems like an impossibility... do try to make amends with her. She needs you as her father."

"I know." He nodded, thought the young man didn't know how he would go about doing it.

Soon, half of Guinevere's body had already disappeared. Knowing that she couldn't last any longer, she spoke one last time.

"Arthur, I love you so much. So please, live for the future instead of the past."

"I will, I promise you that." He replied and felt tears of his own starting to form in the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, with the warmest one she could muster.

With that, the snow-haired woman finally faded away, the imagined landscape within Arthur's mind following suit.

* * *

"Are you alright...?"

When Arthur opened his eyes, he saw that he was now on the ground leaning against a tree. Gray stood over him with her continually stoic expression.

"What happened?"

He looked around and saw that the sun was still up, but not in spot where he remembered. Standing up, he pocketed the necklace in his jacket as he continued.

"How much time had passed...?"

"Two hours..." The white-haired teen replied before fidgeting somewhat. "I trust that... what you saw was to your liking?"

Blinking at this, Arthur smiled at the girl before laying a hand upon her head much to Gray's surprise.

"It was, and thank you." He replied. "My apologies for not believing you sooner."

"N-No, I understand..."

Gray couldn't help but blush under the attention she was getting from her esteemed ancestor. It wasn't everyday you could meet someone as famous as King Arthur, let alone be directly related to him by blood.

"Guinevere told me to give her thanks to you, to all of you." Arthur added. "You've all done well, for following a request such as this for so long."

"My father told me once to do my best to keep a promise. It was something that was passed down to him by his own father, and then own his father before him."

"That's a good sentiment to live by, it should keep you honest." The young man stated, smiling at the girl as he felt pride welling up inside of him as he gazed at her. "I've seen you in combat, you're quite good with that scythe of yours I have to say."

"Thank you, I always train whenever I have the time." Gray replied. "Also, I have something else I want to-"

"Arthur!"

The white-haired girl was cut off when suddenly a third person came upon the two.

"Jeanne...?" Arthur muttered in surprise as he gazed at the young saint as she walked towards them.

"I was wondering where you were. It's been hours since... Hmm?"

The female blonde stopped in her tracks once she observed Arthur closely. Right now, there was something about him that was different. She couldn't tell what exactly it was, but somehow he felt, what was the word...? Brighter she thinks.

Perhaps a better comparison would be that it was as though the white knight had reached a form of enlightenment. If that was really the case, then the young saint could only wonder to herself what would cause such a thing to happen.

"Did something happen...?" She decided to ask.

"Well... I suppose you could say that." Arthur said, gesturing to Gray who stood behind her ancestor.

"Ah, I didn't know you were here as well Master of Lancer." Jeanne commented in surprise. "Did you have business with Arthur?"

"No... he and I were just finishing up." Gray replied as she sighed. "Well finish this conversation later I suppose."

"Ah, wait a minute...!"

Not bothering to respond even to her ancestor's calls, the white-haired girl left and began walking towards the direction of the castle. Leaving Jeanne in a state of confusion as she watched her leave while Arthur sighed in response to her actions.

"I wonder what she was going to say..."

"I didn't interrupt you two, did I?" Jeanne asked, looking back and forth between Gray's disappearing figure and Arthur. "What were the two of you talking about anyway?"

"Family affairs."

"I see." The blonde said, nodding in understanding when her eyes snapped open in realization. "Wait, what...!?"

Arthur merely smiled at the young saint's reaction, having expected as much given the nature of his answer.

"It's complicated I suppose, I'll tell you some other time."

"H-Hah...?" Jeanne could only stare at her friend in confusion as a result.

* * *

With her meeting with her ancestor interrupted, Gray could only sigh to herself as she entered the premises of the castle.

Perhaps she would get another chance to speak with him about that later. It was an important matter after all...

 _"Missed your chance did you?"_

In the confines of her coat, a small cage hanged off her waist containing a small ornate box. She called it **Add** , and unknown to some, it was actually sentient and had the ability to speak to Gray and to whoever it wished to.

"You were there, so you should know."

 _"Hehe, I suppose."_ Add chuckled. _"At any rate, are you sure it's wise to try and give him **that** of all things?"_

"I don't see why not, he was the original owner after all."

 _"Be that as it may, it has been your family's most prized possession after all."_ Add reasoned. _"I would think that you would have a few reservations about giving it away so casually, and to someone you barely know at that, even if he was the original owner and your ancestor."_

"I appreciate your worry Add, but I believe I know what I'm doing."

 _"Alright then. If that's what you think, then so shall it be."_

With that, Add went silent once more, leaving Gray to her own thoughts about the matter.

Indeed, while her ancestor was the original owner, she didn't know him well enough to just give it to him. But, after talking with him herself, she knew that he was very much a trustworthy individual. And by giving **_that_** to her ancestor, she believed that their chances of succeeding in the Holy Grail War would increase exponentially.

However, giving him the lance would have to be put on hold, as it looked like Ruler had things to discuss with her ancestor. Not wanting to interrupt, she decided it would be best to give it to him later.

"Rhongomyniad..."

She muttered its name. It was currently sealed within Add to prevent the lost of its mystery. It was also the very same lance that her ancestor had used in order to strike down Mordred, who was currently Saber of Red.

If there was a reason why she wanted her ancestor alone, it was because she didn't want her to be there when she revealed it to him. Gray didn't really know how well the Red Knight would react to seeing the weapon that killed her once again, and she didn't want to take any chances.

For now, she would push said thoughts away from the forefront of her mind. Since their flight was only a few hours away from now, she had to help make sure that their luggage and everything needed would be ready by the time of their departure.

* * *

-Later that night-

"This is actually kind of unnerving."

Astolfo commented as he was seated in one of the passenger chairs of the plane they were going to fly in. Said plane also happened to be a private jet. One had to wonder how Waver was able to get such a thing without needing to hypnotize someone.

"Are you sure you're alright Sieg?"

"I'm fine, but I suggest that you fasten your seat belt." The white-haired homunculus stated. "When we take off, the force of the turbulence would send you flying unless your safely secured."

"Hmm~! Now this is something I can get used to!" Elizabeth said with a smile.

"These seats need to be a bit more larger don't you think? Maybe I should just use my chariot to fly over to that country." Rider complained, a man of size couldn't really fit entirely on the chair he was seated on.

"At that distance you'll just be wasting mana." Waver replied. "Unless you plan going into spirit form, bare with it for now."

"You think I could pilot this thing? Looks like it could be fun actually." Achilles wondered with a grin.

"Please don't. Let the pilots do their job." Gray said, as she half-expected her Servant to take the plane out for a joyride.

"I have to wonder why most of them aren't in spirit form."

Caules muttered with a dry look as he gazed at the rather chaotic scene of their group trying to settle down. Seriously, it felt more like they were a large family going on vacation rather than fighting a death battle in another country. Only Saber and Caster of Black, and strangely enough Ayaka's Lancer whom the young teen actually expected to be part of scene, were in spirit form.

"Let them be, I think they just want to experience flying in the modern world." Fiore said as she sat beside her brother. She had yet to decide in taking the medicine, figuring that it would be best to do so after they landed.

"I'm finally get to go home...!" Ayaka muttered to herself smiling. Currently, she sat opposite of the Forvedge siblings.

"Will it be alright though? Us staying at your grandmother's place?" Caules asked.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand." The glasses-wearing blonde replied. "With everything that's at stake, she'll definitely help in anyway she can."

While they talked, a certain someone observed his surroundings with distaste and a glass of wine in hand.

"Ridiculous..." Gilgamesh muttered, sitting next to Reines. "Why must I join you lot on this contraption?"

"You could always go ahead on your own if you wanted." The latter commented, knowing that the Golden King had at least another flying vehicle in his arsenal. She wondered why he didn't choose to use it. Perhaps he didn't want to feel left out by taking it?

If that was the case, she felt like she understood his character a little more.

"Ugh..."

Jeanne couldn't help but groan as she sat in her seat waiting for the plane to take off. This was the third time she had to get on one, and she had hoped that she wouldn't need to again after her last trip, but it looks like she was wrong.

"Still frightened from last time?" Arthur asked while smiling, seated right beside the young saint.

"I wasn't frightened...!" She pouted in annoyance at her friend, knowing that he would tease her like this again.

"Well, I suppose you're lucky. You only have to deal with that. I on the other hand..." He said, subtly gesturing to the seats opposite of the two.

At said seats were Kairi and Mordred, the latter of which continually stared at her father with a neutral look on her face. One that bordered between anger and curiosity, it was such a perfect mix of the two that even Arthur couldn't tell if she wanted to fight him right then and there.

"Do you need something?" He finally asked the Red Knight, who blinked in surprise at his question but regained her composure as she spoke.

"Nothing..."

Mordred replied and turned her head away, causing Arthur to sigh as he remembered his earlier conversation with Guinevere. Doing so only caused him to shake his head. Right now, the thought of reconciliation still felt far away to the young man. Still, with that said...

 _'Perhaps, one day...'_

Soon, the plane took off... the group now flying towards the country where the Holy Grail Wars took place.

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

And so ends CH17. Now then, onto explanations:

I like to remind you all, the things with Guinevere were mostly made up in order for me to differentiate her from regular Nasuverse-Guinevere from Altria's timeline. And the thing with Lucius was so that I could have a reason for Gray being directly related to Arthur instead of just regular relative. Speaking of which, named him Lucius because I felt it was a good name for the same reasons I stated why Arthur named him that, as well as the fact that in some legends Arthur had take on an Emperor with the same name, so something of a nod to that person as well. I also hope the reason for the falling out between Arthur and Guinevere is legit. While perhaps a cliche, I think it works out for someone like Arthur.

Now as to why I decided to have her show up. While he does take into consideration the things people say and muse about his own viewpoints and decisions regarding his life, I wrote Arthur to be so stubborn that no matter the advice or words of comfort thrown at him, the best person that can get through to him would be someone from his past that he cared deeply about, and the person that came to mind was Guinevere herself. That said, Arthur's regrets aren't completely gone, but more on a level he isn't as bothered by them at this point. There's still other factors to deal with such as Mordred and Lancelot after all.

This was also done to make him believe Gray's claim as a proper of descendant of his. Rhongomyniad wouldn't have worked, mostly because it can be used by anyone of the Pendragon bloodline. And Uther had two kids; Arthur and Morgan. So yeah XP

With the next chapter comes the final one before the next battle takes place. I wanted to write three chapters of action/plot for the beginning of ACT-2 before writing three break chapters to slow things down. To keep things in a balance of sorts.

* * *

 ** _As for those who had questions:_**

 ** _Kratos:_** I'll just be honest and say this. **_Screw you_**. I'm sorry but you just pissed me off the moment you said that. Exactly under what reasoning did you think that I _wouldn't_ consider your question to be part of FMB? Because with the way you worded it, you basically called me an idiot. No going around that. And I've already stated in CH13 notes that I was pondering the idea of an FGO-esque sequel, so your question by far a redundant one. As for your second statement, that depends on the situation. If she used it on Arthur, then Jeanne will have problems with it obviously. Trying it on her allies would only anger them, but doing it to enemy Servants is another thing entirely.

 ** _Orphee:_** This Orpheus? Anyway, you would really ask me this? What, am I writing a harem comedy? I ain't even gonna answer this because I can't even take it seriously. That aside, I will say this of Cu and Achilles. Proto-Cu is more focused on Scathach than FSN-Cu is, so I go with that being the reason why doesn't flirt as much. And Achilles flirts with Atalanta because they're from the same lands, and she was basically his idol crush. That and they haven't really had time to talk with Jeanne all that much, and at this point its a given she's attracted to Arthur.

 ** _Cain:_** Why are you even calling Alaya a bitch? That makes no sense to me. Never mind. The reason is because the situation isn't completely hopeless for humanity yet. And technically speaking, it already actually has agents on the field (Arthur/Jeanne/Shirou) three individuals who made contracts with world. Granted, the latter two ascended and became proper Heroic Spirits, whereas the former has yet to complete the conditions for his, and with the way things are going, never will. As for your other questions, accidentally deleted it. Anyway, you can find out the answer to it by reading.

 ** _Code Zero:_** I accidentally deleted your review with the question too, but I still have it in my email. Anyway, asking me about the flaws of the antagonists is something you can find out by reading. This isn't even something I need to answer if you pay attention.

 ** _No need be weak:_** Yeah, that's about right. Caster and Berserker were the only ones I changed from that lineup. And the Hassan-I-Sabbah from that war is called Hassan of Serenity. And Arthur will eventually tell them what he knows about his old enemies, I'll either have him do it mid-flight or after they reach their new base.

* * *

That's it for now. Again, please review :D


	18. Act II-18: Sajyou Ayaka

_**AN:** And here's CH18 folks :) Please leave a review :D_

 _ **Update (1/18/2017):** Edited the part with Amakusa reminiscing how he got a human body. Felt that the original was too cheesy, and it wasn't really in line with how I imagined the Beast to be. In fact, the way Fate/Prototype goes with its presentation, as revealed in the Fragments final volume, is actually somewhat in sync with my view of it and as such decided to edit the part to be more in line with it now. Don't worry though, it's a minor edit at best that doesn't really change anything for FMB since the Beast hasn't really made an impact on it as a whole yet._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 18:**_

 ** _Sajyou Ayaka_**

* * *

"So then King of Knights, what can you tell us about the opponents you've faced in the past?"

Halfway into their flight, most of the others in the group had fallen asleep with the exception of Arthur, Waver, Gilgamesh, and Iskander. The latter two of which were currently passing the time drinking wine brought out by the Golden King.

"You mean the ones in the Holy Grail War I fought in?" The young man asked as he looked at the red-haired Servant. "Well, I never figured out some of their identities, only a few actually. That said, they were all powerful warriors."

"Considering that one of them is Heracles, that isn't all that surprising." Waver commented.

"Hmm... the idea of facing the son of Zeus is a rather delightful thought."

Gilgamesh smirked, happy at the prospect of having yet another worthy foe to face in combat, and one that he believed would be a very entertaining. Truly, he was in a joyful position to have been summoned in order to partake in the Holy Grail War.

"Say, what about the other one? About that Brynhild woman you mentioned last night?" Iskander inquired.

Unpleasant memories surfaced throughout Arthur's mind as he remembered his last battle with Lancer all those years ago.

Back then, she had suddenly gone on a rampage throughout the city trying to find the white knight. She had suddenly mistook him for someone else, calling him by the name of someone from her past. At the same time, she also tried to kill Manaka in cold blood. While he understood the reasoning behind said tactic as a Master was Servant's anchor to the world, Lancer had never shown such inclinations before that time.

Now that he remembered it. After he had driven his blade deep into her heart, snapping her out of her sudden madness, she said something to him that day...

 _"You, mustn't…let…..the…..Greater Grail…..give birth…..to the…..thing…..lurking…within it….."_

Perhaps she had discovered the true nature of the grail then, that was the only conclusion he could come to in regards to what she said. Knowing that, he felt himself more of a fool for not realizing the truth sooner.

Just how long was it? How long was Manaka deceiving him?

"Hey, King of Knights."

Blinking in surprise, Arthur snapped out of his thoughts and quickly remembered that he was having a conversation with the other three.

"My apologies, I was caught up in old memories."

"Yeah, the look on your face kinda said that." The red-haired Servant stated. "So then, what about the other one we were talking about?"

"She's a formidable fighter, one of the stronger ones I've dealt with in the past." Arthur began. "If anything, I believe that among ourselves, the only ones capable of standing against her in a fair fight would be myself, Lancer, Saber of Black, Archer, and Lancer of Red."

"Hmm... so she's that tough eh?" The King of Conquerors placed a hand under his chin. If the King of Knights said so, then it was no doubt the truth. As such, he wondered how such a person would be able to stand against his army.

"Perhaps it's to be expected of the daughter of Odin." Gilgamesh added with a smile. "It makes me wonder of the others you fought against as well."

While the three kings talked amongst themselves, Saber of Black quietly listened in on their conversation as a certain name caught his interest.

 _'Brynhild...'_

Although he had heard of the name before as two who come from the same lands, Siegfried had never actually met the Valkyrie himself. For some reason, he felt a sense of dread whenever he heard her name. He didn't know what to make of it, and so decided to bury said feelings until he met said person.

While he thought that, another person entered the conversation with a tone akin to a snarl.

"Why is it that you fail to include me in that list?"

Having overheard the entire conversation, Mordred opened her eyes and glared at her father, who himself merely sighed in response to her reaction.

"Because taking into consideration your strengths and weaknesses, I do not believe you'll last long in a conflict against her." He simply stated.

"What's that...!?" Mordred demanded, turning her full attention towards her father.

"It's true that you posses great strength, and are more than capable of using that strength to your advantage."

Arthur began, gazing at Mordred with such seriousness that she was taken aback by it.

"However, you are brash and think too highly of yourself. It leads you to overestimate your abilities and to underestimate your foes. To have confidence is one thing, but to have arrogance is another. If you allow it to guide you and control your actions, then it will eventually lead to your ruin."

...! Who was he to lecture her...!?

"Shut up! What do you know about me?!" The red knight exclaimed in anger, a statement that hit a little too close to home for Arthur. "If that's the case, then let me prove my mettle against this woman! I'll show you that I can take her or anybody on!"

"You are free to try, but you'll only end up wasting your strength. Unless you learn to temper your rage, Lancer will defeat you."

"...!"

Mordred continued to glare hard at her father. How dare he look down on her so much...!

Even despite having praised her the other night! He still-!

"Hahaha!"

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard laughter erupting from a certain someone. Turning her head, she allowed her gaze to fall upon Archer of Red, the Golden King having a highly amused expression on his face.

"A parent and child fighting, and what's more both are Servants... what an entertaining spectacle you two clowns make!"

"What was that?!" Mordred stood up and went towards the red-eyed blonde.

"Hey now, calm down you two. Some people are sleeping you know." Iskander began as got in between both. "Saber, if you want to kill him, then at least do it when we're all on the ground. Fighting here isn't exactly ideal considering that we're all up in the sky."

"..."

Mordred frowned as she glared at the King of Conquerors, knowing that he had a point.

Settling back down onto her seat, she crossed her arms and merely huffed in annoyance. At this, Arthur sighed to himself. Once again, memories of his meeting with Guinevere filled his mind, her words to him about the red knight in particular.

 _'As I thought, it's not going to be an easy road...'_

Unless he was ordering or lecturing her, the young man found talking to Mordred to be rather awkward. He had meant to word what he said earlier in a way that didn't anger the red knight but it appears he wasn't able to. And her volatile nature wasn't exactly helping matters either.

Still, the fact that they weren't trying to kill each other right now was a start he supposed. Though it wasn't exactly much all things considered, but it was still a start.

"Ugh..."

Blinking her eyes repeatedly, Jeanne slowly woke up and allowed herself to stretch somewhat and yawn. The young saint had decided to sleep for the rest of the flight so that Laeticia's body could rest but the noise had put an end to that.

After a few moments, she gathered her bearings and saw the current scene taking place much to her surprise.

"Did something happen...?" She couldn't help but ask.

"I see that you've taken to joining us Ruler." Iskander smiled at the young saint. "Now that you're awake, perhaps you might be able to enlighten us more about that female Lancer that you encountered the other night. We were just having a discussion about Saber's past opponents."

"Ah, I see." Jeanne nodded, allowing her gaze to fall upon her friend sitting next to her. "Is that alright with you?"

"I don't see why not." The young man shrugged in response. "After all, with the appearance of both Lancer and Berserker, I believe it's only a matter of time before we encounter Rider, Archer, Assassin, and Caster. If anything, I believe sharing what I know of them would benefit us in the long run."

"You have a point." The young saint agreed. "So then, what have you discussed up until now?"

"Lancer and Berserker." Arthur replied as he turned his attention to the others. "Now that we're back on topic, perhaps I should tell you all both about the Rider-Class Servant of the war I fought in."

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't something I'm going to like hearing?" Waver commented.

"Considering that it took the combined effort of myself, Lancer, Archer, Caster, and Assassin to take him down, I believe your thoughts are justified."

At this, the group's eyes widened in surprise. It took five Servants teaming up to take down a single one? Just who in the world would demand such a feat?!

"Back then, Rider called himself Ozymandias. And if memory serves right, he also called himself Ramesses II at times."

"You mean the Egyptian Pharaoh from the time of Moses himself?" Waver asked.

"Yes, I believe so. He even proclaimed himself as the King of Kings." Arthur replied with a nod. "And he was by far the strongest opponent I've ever come across. If I had to take him on again, I believe I would lose unless I had proper support from all of you. It took us five Servants empowered by Ruler to take him down, and that was after his Master had already been killed."

"You're kidding me..."

Waver muttered in amazement. He wondered to himself who in the world could have summoned him back then. Going by the rules of magecraft and mystery, older was better for the most part. Considering the time period when Ramesses and the Book of Exodus supposedly took place, then he most likely was as powerful as Saber had described him as. What a troublesome war he had gotten himself in this time.

Mordred herself was wondering the same. Just how strong was this person her father was talking about?

While they thought about this, a certain duo had varying thoughts on the matter.

"Hoho? Now that's a rather interesting title! Makes me want to find him and see what kind of person a King of Kings is like!"

Iskander stated with a large grin. First it was him, then Archer, then Saber, and then Lancer of Black. Now there was possibly a fifth sovereign out there, waiting to be faced by their group. The thought just somehow excited him.

"What kind of joke is this? Someone would dare proclaim themselves King of Kings?"

The Golden King muttered as his hand began to slowly crush the goblet in his hand. There could only be one true King, and that was him. He was lenient in regards to the other pretenders that had show themselves so far, but if what Saber was saying true, then there was someone who dared to assume a greater title than his own.

"Very well then, should this so called King of Kings appear before us, then I will be the one to take his head. There can only be so much arrogance in this world for one to claim himself superior to me."

"Arrogance? That's rich coming from you." Mordred sneered with a smirk.

"Be quiet little girl, I'm in no mood to entertain your jests." The red-eyed blonde growled.

If not for the fact that she had already been told off once and was enjoying the angered look on Archer's face, Mordred would have taken insult at the Golden King's reference to her. It was rather priceless to see the look on his face actually.

"Hmm, what about the identities of Archer, Caster, and Assassin?" The King of Conquerors then asked of the young blonde. "Did you ever find out about them as well?"

"Aside from Archer, then no." Arthur replied. "Speaking of which, Archer's name is Arash, and he's quite capable in his own right. That said, when he used his Noble Phantasm back then, it ended up killing him as well. So I suppose that's something to our advantage."

"A suicide type..." Jeanne muttered, noting that her other Noble Phantasm was of similar nature as well.

"Also, I believe that the Assassin from back then came from the same lands as Assassin of Black, as she had an appearance similar to them. As for Caster... I believe she came from Japan itself thanks to the clothes that she wore. Strangely enough, she also had animal ears and a tail. But I'm not familiar enough with eastern legends to make a guess about who she was."

"Neither am I for that matter." The red-haired Servant frowned.

"If it's Assassin, then she's probably one of the nineteen people who took on the identity of Hassan-I-Sabbah." Jeanne added. "If so, then it narrows our search down. What of their abilities then? Including Rider for that matter?"

"Assassin had a strange ability to utilize poison with her body. Just coming near her would be toxic even to Servant." Arthur began. "As for Caster, I'm not much for magecraft so I cannot be sure how powerful she was. As for Rider, he has three Noble Phantasms that I know of, but one that worries me is his Reality Marble. It was one of the main reasons it took five of us to stop him. So allow me to say that he cannot be underestimated."

"A reality marble?" Jeanne muttered in amazement. Such an ability was a rare thing to manifest in a person. Knowing that Arthur wasn't lying, then it was indeed true that this Rider had one of his own. With that in mind, she could see more clearly why it took five Servants to take him down.

"This guy sounds like real threat, befitting of someone who calls himself King of Kings." Iskander grinned.

"Ridiculous." Gilgamesh scoffed as he continued to drink.

"Speaking of which King of Knights, I'm curious." The red-haired Servant began.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Just how did you destroy the grail in the first place?" He asked. "You told us before that Kotomine boy is actually a Servant who somehow acquired a physical body. But considering his class, he had Command Spells that held control over you as well, didn't he?"

At this, Jeanne allowed her gaze to fall upon her friend, a curious look in her eyes as she herself had been wondering about that herself ever since last night.

"That's not a topic I'm willing to discuss..." Arthur replied. "Let's just say I got lucky because he got careless."

With that said, memories of that day quickly began flashing throughout his mind.

* * *

 _"Hah...!"_

 _"Tch...!"_

 _Standing across from one another were Saber and Ruler. After several consecutive clashes against each other, the latter came to realize that Saber was a superior swordsman compared to him even in his current condition, there was no doubting that fact now._

 _"Heh, even with your mana running out, you can still put up a rather impressive fight." Ruler smirked. "You are truly someone befitting the title of hero."_

 _"And you mock the title with your existence..." Saber_ _replied, panting heavily as he felt himself drain away more and more._ _He needed to settle the matter now, otherwise he would be disappear from the world soon. Leaving the grail in the hands of the person in front of him. That was not something he could allow!_

 _"Aren't you supposed to be an impartial judge...!? Why is that you seek the grail, even in its corrupted form!?"_

 _"So that I may save the world from itself." He simply stated "With that said,"_

 _Ruler began, raising his right arm as he called out._

 _"Saber, by my authority as Ruler, I order you to kill yourself."_

 _...!_

 _Before the White Knight knew it, his body had suddenly moved on its own and he soon found himself being impaled with Excalibur through the torso._

 _"Gargh...!"_

 _"My apologies. As much as I would like to personally settle matters with you, I have other priorities to accomplish. And I don't plan on wasting my time with someone who's already disappearing as it is."_

 _With that, Ruler walked past the kneeling blonde, making his way towards the greater grail. Once there, he carefully extended his hand. When began feeling a burning sensation, he pulled it back, smirking to himself as he gazed upon it._

 _"A rather foul creature has infested it._ _Perhaps it really will take some time to-"_

 _...!_

 _The young hero felt his eyes go wide when he felt a surge of mana gathering behind him._

 _Turning around, Ruler saw Saber slowly standing up as he turned to face the former with a sharp glare in his eyes. His blade, the legendary Sword of Promised Victory, began glowing erratically with a golden light. He had seen glow like that once before, but never like this._

 _It was then that something came to mind..._

 _"Wait, you're not thinking...!"_

 _"You ordered me to kill myself didn't you...? Then I'm simply fulfilling that command...!"_

 _An excruciating pain erupted from his body, and not from the wound he was suffering either. It was the price he had to pay, for forcing some of the seals on Excalibur to release themselves despite the conditions for the constraints not having been met yet. Some conditions were met, but right now he needed as much power as possible...!_

 _"You fool! There are still children here, would sacrifice their lives just so you could destroy the grail...!?"_

 _...!_

 _That was enough to bring pause to the white knight. Briefly turning his gaze towards the various children laying asleep, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as Excalibur began glowing brightly once more._

 _It seemed he was destined to bring about the deaths of young children..._

 _"Then let my soul be condemned...! EX-!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"-CALIBUR!"_

 _A bright light enveloped both of their visions, blinding them both as they heard a faint cry in the background._

 _"Fou!"_

* * *

"...!"

Waking up with a startled cry, Shirou allowed himself to relax once he realized he had just experienced a dream.

 _'That same dream, again...'_

Ever since that day, he had been plagued with dreams going back to that single moment. Shirou believed that it was a miracle he was still alive, as the destruction left in the wake of Saber's suicide attack created a canyon big enough for a dig sight. Thankfully, the cavern was located actually located north of Tokyo within the mountainous regions of the Saitama Prefecture. And miraculously enough, the children that die all survived.

Though he was a self-admitted scoundrel, even he had standards he wouldn't want to cross if possible. The killing of children being one of them. He still wondered to this day what could have possibly allow them to live. Either way, he counted it as a rare blessing from a God.

As for Shirou himself, he had somehow gained possession of a human body.

 ** _-Hate everything-_**

 _"Mo...er? wh...ou?"_

 ** _-Kill everything-_**

 _"You!...wer...he...one!"_

 ** _-Destroy everything-_**

 _"Why did...her...om me!?"_

 ** _DEVOUR ALL!_**

"Tch!"

He held his head slightly. Such thoughts filled his mind that day... it was rather chilling to say the least. He couldn't tell when and how long it occurred, but it was there. As for his new body, Shirou believed that he must have made contact with the grail somehow which resulted in his current condition. Not that he was complaining much, but the process of getting it wasn't exactly one he would endorse to other Servants with intentions of getting one of their own.

As much as he hated admit it, he knew that Saber was right about the grail. That it was indeed corrupted thanks to the machinations of Sajyou Manaka.

However...

 _In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Grant me strength O lord, for your child needs your aid now more than ever. Let me face the temptations of sin, and purge the darkness that now stains my existence._

As ironic as it was for him to ask that, if not for that prayer, Shirou believed he would've succumbed to the darkness. Perhaps the Lord was still watching over him to this day?Regardless of that, it did prove something to the young man...

That whatever the beast was, no matter how much it corrupted the grail, it could be contained. That his plans could still bear fruit in the future. That was all he really needed but alas it never went anywhere thanks to the destruction of the Greater Grail back then. Well, "supposed destruction" considering recent events...

There was also one other thing that piqued his interest that day.

 _'What was that? It felt as though I heard a child's cry back then...'_

Within the sea of maliciousness that filled his mind that day, he was certain that he could hear the voice of what felt like a child calling out to someone. He couldn't make out what was being said however, and all he could remember were bits and pieces. Perhaps it was a result of the children being sacrificed that day? That was the only reason that Shirou could think of, and it wouldn't be surprising considering that residual thoughts of deceased individuals would linger at times.

Though his mind wanted to ponder more on the subject, he had other things to deal with right now. Such as...

"Enjoying yourself are you~?"

As he became more aware of his surroundings, Shirou had to wonder just why his head was currently laid upon Assassin's lap, the raven-haired beauty eyeing him with a watchful gaze. The young man couldn't tell if she was planning to do something to him or not, and that actually troubled him a little.

"What are you doing?" He decided to ask, sitting up. "Do you need something?"

"Oh? Is there a problem for a Servant to tend to her Master?"

"The fact that it's YOU of all people that's doing it is what troubles me."

"Oh my, now that's a rather hurtful thing to say Master~" The Assyrian Queen smiled in response. "At any rate, I believe you may wish to know that we have arrived. Currently, we are floating above the city of Tokyo."

"Is that right? Then I suppose we should set up a ground base then." Shirou said as he went over put on his red cape. "Have Assassin and our two Archer friends take to the streets for now. I want all three of them to get their bearings so that when the fighting starts, they would know where to take point and lay ambushes if need be."

"And what of Lancer, Rider, and Berserker?"

"They're to remain on standby in the event someone should find us here." The white-haired youth replied before a thought came to mind.

"Before I forget, have our new friend join the scouting party. I believe he might enjoy being able to walk freely in the light for the time being."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Semiramis asked.

Considering the fact that they had just summoned him, she wasn't really sure about that.

"Perhaps it's not, but I believe that it would help smooth over our relations with him." Shirou stated in response. "He's been curious as to what has become of today's world. So we might as well help give him the answer to that curiosity."

"I see then. Speaking of which, what do you wish to do about the Allied Factions? Their flight will soon arrive in this city."

"Keep an eye on them for now, it would do us good to know where they'll be making camp. Though I believe I already know where exactly that would be."

"Very well, if that's what you desire." The Assyrian Queen nodded. "What will you be doing in that time?"

"Visiting familiar places..." Shirou replied.

* * *

-A few hours later, that early morning-

"Hoho? Now this city is quite different compared to Trifas!"

Having touched down at Haneda Airport, the group were now standing outside the hangar were their plane was now parked. While they did so, Astolfo and Elizabeth took in the site of the modern architecture with delight.

"Say, you think we can just explore for now? I mean, it's not like we're going to be having battles anytime soon right? The sun has barely risen yet." Astolfo asked.

"Yeah yeah! Come on pig! I'll give you the honor of taking a lady out in town!"

"Why is it always me!?" Caules complained.

"That's enough you two, we're not here on vacation."

Waver called out like the stern adult that he was, causing both pink-haired Servants to freeze up in silence at his authoritative tone.

"Lord El-Melloi II is right, this really isn't the time for such things." Fiore added as she came up beside her former professor. "Right now, we first must establish a base. To do that, we must head towards Miss Tohsaka's household in the city. You said it's near here correct?"

"R-Right!" Ayaka nodded as she held up her phone. "I've already called my grandmother, so she should be expecting us by now. Though she still doesn't know what's going on. Ugh... I think I'm probably going to get yelled at later."

The young blonde shivered somewhat at the thought. Though normally kind, once her grandmother was angered, she could be quite strict to the point that even her uncle was afraid of facing her wrath.

In fact, now that she thought about it was the sole reason why he didn't decide to give away Sakura to another magus family like he originally planned. Instead, he simply opted to have her live with them from now on instead. Though in recent years, her cousin alternated between living with them and with her family once more.

"You two."

The group turned their attention towards Archer of Red, the red-eyed blonde looking rather displeased as he gazed at Arthur and Kairi specifically. He then raised his hand, with two large portals of light appeared beside him as a result.

...!

A motorcycle and red convertible appeared and landed neatly on the pavement below them, the latter of which only really applied to the motorcycle as the car was dropped with much more force for some reason.

"Oh for the love of...!" Kairi muttered in annoyance as he went over to check for any possible damages to his car.

"Now that we've landed, I'm giving you back your vehicles. Be thankful that I even allowed such things to remain inside my treasury." Gilgamesh stated. "Be honored, for you have received an act of kindness from the King."

Reines giggled slightly at this as she found his reaction just now to be somewhat humorous. And it was her who managed to convince him to help bring along their vehicles.

"You know that thing of yours sure is useful." Astolfo commented. "Just how much can you store in it anyway~?"

"Who knows? The boundaries of my treasury has already exceeded even my knowledge." The Golden King replied as he allowed his gaze to fall upon their surroundings, smiling somewhat as he continued. "Now then, I believe it's time for a little exploring as they say."

"You didn't even listen to anything we said earlier did you?" Waver commented with a frown.

"Fool, you would think that I would listen to anything you just said?" The Golden King smirked. "Come now Hero of Troy, King of Conquerors, surely you both desire to see more of this city for yourselves do you not?"

"I'll admit, Goldie's got me figured out." Achilles stated with a hand scratching the back of his head as he turned his attention towards Gray. "Say Master, I'm going to go with him for now alright?"

"Lancer..." The white-haired girl began with small frown.

"Come on, it's not like we're going to be partying all day or anything like that." The green-haired warrior began. "After all, we don't really know anything about this city in the first place. Wouldn't it make sense to have a few of us do a little scouting to get familiar with this city?"

"Point taken." Waver sighed as he placed a hand over his forehead. Perhaps the stress of their current situation was getting to him to the point that it made him forget about the necessity of such things himself. He would need to find a way to relax himself later.

"Hahaha! Now then, who else is with me!?"

"Count us in!" Both Astolfo and Elizabeth cheered in delight. Soon enough, Gilgamesh, Achilles, Astolfo, and Elizabeth began walking off, with the latter two dragging Sieg and Caules along with them much to the former's curiosity and latter boy's annoyance.

"I suppose I should join them as well to keep an eye on Archer."

Reines sighed to herself. That said, she would be lying if she said that she wasn't interested in doing a little exploring for now. With that in mind, she then turned her gaze towards the gray-haired teen beside her.

"Coming along as well Gray?"

Gazing at her ancestor for a few seconds, the young teen shook her head and then replied.

"Yes. I need to keep an eye on Lancer as well."

With that, the two followed after the group, leaving the others to themselves as a certain mercenary walked up to Waver.

"Want me to keep an eye on them?" Kairi offered.

"Please do." The former replied before handing the mercenary a piece of paper. "Just meet us at this location later."

"Alright." He nodded, before turning his gaze towards Mordred. "Stick with El-Melloi for now will you? I can handle this myself."

"Is that even wise?" The female blonde asked.

"Daytime in a city like Tokyo, I really doubt that those bastards have the balls to make a move." Kairi replied as he gestured to the others. "Even then, already got the protection of four Servants already, so I think we're good. Besides, you want to stick with your old man don't you?"

"Wha-!? What does he have to do with this...?" She muttered quietly and turned her head away, causing the necromancer to smirk. "A-At any rate, I'm coming with you. I'd be a failure as a Servant if I lost track of where my Master is."

"Suit yourself."

 _"What about you Lancer?"_ Ayaka telepathically asked her Servant, who was current in spirit form himself. _"Don't you want to go along with them?"_

 _"Maybe some other time, first order of business it to you get you home isn't it?"_ The Hound of Chulainn replied. _"If that's the case, the sooner we get that done, the better."_

"Home huh..."

Ayaka muttered to herself. She's going to have a lot of explaining to do later.

* * *

"Really now, that girl..."

Inside a living room, an elderly woman sat by herself on a couch as she held a picture in her hands and looked at it.

There, was the image of her a couple of years younger as a young child with blonde hair sat in her lap. The child was her granddaughter, someone she had shared her first name with after her second son decided that it was a fine name to have and to be named after her as well.

While it was a heartwarming gesture, the elderly woman found the idea of having a grandchild with same name as her rather silly all things considered, especially when she wasn't even that much of a magus when compared to her other grandchildren. But her son had insisted upon it, and so it was that her second grandchild was named after her.

As she settled down the picture onto the coffee table in front of her, Sajyou Ayaka began recounting her thoughts from the following weeks since her granddaughter had decided to go on a trip to Romania with the Kotomine boy.

From the very beginning, she never liked Kotomine Shirou. She merely tolerated him as her family had gotten along well with the boy's father, Kotomine Risei, for years since the Holy Grail War ended sixty years ago. However, unlike his father, Kotomine Shirou had this dangerous feeling to him. It was unlike anything she had felt before in her life, but at the same time it felt rather familiar as well.

Perhaps she was merely feeling paranoid, she didn't know. But, when she heard that her aiding Kotomine Shirou involved the Holy Grail War, she nearly fainted. Last time she had a relative take part in the Holy Grail War, it didn't end well.

 _"Onee-chan...! Please... stop this...!"_

 _"It's alright Ayaka, onee-chan loves you."_

...!

Ayaka felt herself hunching as she held her head, unpleasant memories surfacing in her mind once more.

 _'Even now, after all this time...'_

She sighed to herself. It's been over sixty years since that day, and while she could only faintly remember what happened then and during the grail war, that memory was something that was etched into the back of her mind, one that she would never forget.

For years, Ayaka kept asking herself just when did it all go wrong. Her sister was always so caring to her, so why did she do that then?

The elderly woman sighed once more. This wasn't the time for her to question such things, right now she should be preparing.

Earlier that morning, she had received a call from her granddaughter that she was coming home in a few hours. After that, she suddenly hanged up. And as much as the elderly woman wanted to know what she's been up to for the past few weeks, she could only sigh in relief that she was safe and coming home.

If that was the case, then what happened with the Holy Grail War?

Before she could think more on the matter, the doorbell rang. Ayaka quickly made her way towards the door.

Opening the door, there stood a young teen with blonde hair.

"G-Grandmother, I've come home...!"

Tohsaka Ayaka greeted her grandmother nervously.

Before anything else could be said, the elderly woman quickly closed the gap between the two of them as she caught her granddaughter in an embrace, one that the young blonde quickly returned once she realized what was happening.

"Stupid girl, do you know how worried I was until now?"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you feel that way." She said, her voice muffled from burying her head into her grandmother's neck.

"I heard that you went along with that Kotomine boy, and that whatever business he was doing involved the Holy Grail War." The gray-haired woman stated. "What have I told you about the that cursed event? There's a reason why your uncle and cousins don't participate in them anymore."

"I know... I just thought I was helping a friend out." The blonde replied. "I'm really sorry, I know that what I did was wrong, but-"

"Enough of that, you're back here with me aren't you?" The elder Ayaka smiled gently in response. "That's all that matters. While I'm still wondering on whether or not I should punish you, I'm going to forget about it for now since you've finally come home. Away from all that Holy Grail nonsense."

"About that..." The younger Ayaka smiled uneasily, one her grandmother had immediately took note of.

"What is it?"

"The thing is-"

"It's been years, hasn't it Ayaka?"

...!

Hearing a familiar voice call over from behind her granddaughter, the elderly woman looked to see a young man with blonde hair and green eyes standing at the entrance. A gentle smile was on his face, a smile that she was all too familiar with.

Fond memories suddenly began coming back to her, about a white knight who so gently and dutifully served her sister all those years ago. Looking at the person standing in the door frame, she could only come to one conclusion.

"Saber...?"

The young man smiled in response at this, speaking out once more.

"You've grown up. How have you been?"

Before anyone knew it, the elderly woman collapsed to the ground. Her consciousness fading as she heard people call out to her.

"A-Ayaka...!?"

"Uwah! Grandmother...!"

"Arthur, what did you do...!?" A third feminine voice inquired.

"I don't know...!"

With that, the elder Ayaka passed out.

* * *

"So she's not here after all..."

Standing alone within a crater was Shirou, a perplexed look on the young priest's face as he looked around.

It was a long shot, but he should've known that Sajyou Manaka wouldn't have been here. It was too obvious a place to base herself at, not too mention that the giant hole that was caused by Saber's suicide attack half a century ago made it impractical as a hiding spot too. And the leylines themselves were also partially ruined in the area, so it really wouldn't have been an ideal location to place the grail at.

 _'If she's not here, where is she then...?'_

"Are you looking for me~?"

Shirou nearly jumped as he turned around brought out six black keys, each held in between the fingers on both his hands, as he came face to face a certain blonde haired little girl with an angelic smile on her face.

"Ahaha~! Well aren't you jumpy!"

"You'll forgive if I am considering that I'm dealing with a witch." The white-haired priest stated, not letting down his guard. "What do you want?"

"What do I want...? Weren't you looking for me?" The girl tilted her head to the side curiously.

"I see..." Shirou sighed to himself before gazing at the girl once more. "I'll get straight to the point then. Where have you taken the grail?"

"Where...? Well, it's right with me of course~!"

Manaka reached into her dress, pulling out a small sphere which floated slightly above her hand. Shirou could only marvel at the sight, at the fact that the Greater Grail was now in a miniaturized form. Upon closer inspection, it didn't look like it was corrupted by anything yet.

"Why did you decide to take it?"

"Why? Well because there's something curious about it is all." She said with a smile, causing Shirou to become curious himself as to why that was. His thoughts were quickly brushed aside when the former continued to speak. "But don't worry, I won't do anything to it. I did give my word after all~"

"So then... it seems you truly don't have any plans for to use it for yourself."

"Of course, I already have one to work with. So having another is just a waste of space really~" Manaka replied as she pocketed the grail once more.

 _'Another one to work with...'_

The girl had basically said such words the other night as well. If that was the case, then did that mean original grail was still intact? Could that have been the reason as to why she was still alive today? If so, then what did that mean for the original grail?

"Tell me something Sajyou Manaka, what has become of the original?"

"Why do you want to know~?" The girl asked with a sly smile on her face.

"Because you would summon the beast with it, that's why. It's something I cannot allow."

"Oh you worry too much~!" Manaka replied as she suddenly began twirling about like a ballerina. "The grail is safe, it's still asleep right now. Since it's going to help Saber grant his wish, I suppose I can allow it to rest for a while before it does that~"

"Asleep?" Just what in the world did that mean?

"Hm! It's asleep, so you don't have to worry about it for now."

The young blonde stated as she stopped, looking the white-haired priest directly in the eye as her smile grew wide.

"After all, the thing you'll have to worry about is Saber. We both know you can't beat him~"

"There's such a thing as trying after all." Shirou said in reply as he frowned. While he admitted that the King of Knights was a superior warrior to him, he still had such a thing as pride. To be looked down upon, by the girl in front of him no less, was insulting to say the least.

"Ehehe~! Well, like I said before. On the off chance that you do beat him, then I'll give the grail as a reward." Manaka stated, taking out the grail from her dress once more and held it in front of Shirou. "And don't worry, I'll keep my word."

"Somehow I highly doubt that." Shirou replied as he raised his weapons. "And as much as I want to kill you here, take the grail, and be done with it..."

He then threw one blade into an empty space.

...!

The black key was quickly deflected, by a woman with short purple hair wearing a skull mask and somewhat revealing black clothing. At this, Shirou smirked. He knew that someone was there, being a Ruler-Class Servant had its benefits after all.

Said someone was a person familiar to him as well. Knowing that, he spoke.

"It's been years Assassin, you're as lovely as ever." He greeted.

"Ruler...!"

Assassin gripped her dagger tightly, gritting her teeth as she allowed her gaze to fall upon the young hero. She remembered his face clear as day, and after what happened back then, she was half-tempted to just strike him down where he stood.

If anything, she would make him pay for that day...!

"Now, now, Assassin. We're not here to fight~" Manaka scolded.

"But he's-!"

"You'll stop it now."

Spoken in such a cold and emotionless tone, it was enough for the Servant of the Shadows to lower her weapon out of obedience. Seeing this, Shirou merely smirked as he turned his gaze back towards Manaka.

"It seems you got her a on a leash."

"Unlike Saber, she and the others a lot more troublesome~" Manaka sighed.

"Well I suppose I should be taking my leave then, I am unwanted here after all." He smiled at Assassin, who merely glared under her mask in return. "Sajyou Manaka, do make sure that you uphold your end of the bargain, or else we will find you and make you return the grail."

"Yes, yes, how about we pinky swear on it~?" She extended her hand and raised said finger.

"No." Shirou replied. With that, the white-haired youth left the area.

"Meanie~!" Manaka stuck her tongue out.

* * *

"Now I feel so embarrassed..."

A few hours later, the elderly Ayaka woke up. Soon afterwards, she had a brief freak out at seeing Saber once again, but calmed down after her granddaughter had explained everything that happened so far. After that, it lead to their current situation.

"It was my fault to begin with." Arthur said in a somewhat guilty tone. "I shouldn't have approached you so casually like that."

At the moment, the group all sat together inside the house's living room. Old memories showed the young man that aside from a few changes, the room and the complex as a whole remained unchanged for the most part. It was as though sixty years never occurred.

"No, no, it's alright." The elderly woman replied. "It's just that old memories came back to me right then. Both good and bad ones that is..."

"Well I can understand that..." The young man nodded.

"Excuse me, Miss Sajyou?" Jeanne interrupted as said person turned her gaze towards the young saint. "I believe it's too late to already ask this, but we were hoping to use your home as our new base. We've already had Caster setting up a workshop in the greenhouse.

"I can see that." The older Ayaka said as she looked to see a bunch of white-haired individuals carrying items into the house via the front door.

Thanks to her years of experience, she was able to tell that said people were homunculi. Once she heard that they belonged to the family of Yggdmillennia, then her thoughts were basically confirmed. As always, they had such an artificial beauty to each of them.

"Well, considering the situation, I suppose I should lend a hand." She added as she gazed at the blonde sitting next to her. "And since my little Aya-chan and Saber are helping you all out, all the more reason for me to help as well isn't there? If you're all truly going to prevent the grail from falling into the wrong hands, then I'll do what I can to aid you, even if it's just lending you my home."

"Thank you for your kindness."

Jeanne smiled in gratitude and bowed her head slightly. At this, Ayaka couldn't help gaze at the young blonde who now served as Saber's current Master. To think that she was the Heroic Spirit Jeanne d'Arc, a real life saint.

"Speaking of which, I think you should all just refer to me as Aya from now on." The younger Ayaka spoke up as she gestured to both herself and her grandmother. "You know, just to make sure there isn't too much confusion since we share the same name. Aya is my nickname after all."

"Hmm, now I believe that would be suitable." Arthur nodded.

"Sajyou Ayaka was it?" Waver suddenly called out. "Just to confirm something. You're the mother of Tohsaka Tokiomi aren't you?"

"I am. Is something the matter?"

"I'm curious, you were adopted by, and then later married into the Tohsaka family weren't you?" The long-haired man asked as the older Ayaka nodded. "If that's the case, why is it that you choose to go by the Sajyou name then?"

"Ah, so that's the reason." The elderly woman nodded in understanding. "If I had a reason, then I suppose it was so that I wouldn't forget about what happened here all those years ago. While there are somethings people will need to forget and move on from, there are things they would need to remember, so that the bad memories wouldn't repeat themselves in the present day."

"I see..." Waver nodded, satisfied by the answer.

"Now that I think about it, you're Lord El-Melloi II aren't you?"

"Yes I am, I take it your granddaughter told you about me?"

"Rin has always been happy about going to the Clock Tower, especially now that she has herself a sponsor." Ayaka said with a light giggle. "In any event, I'll trust you with her care when the time comes for her leave for London."

"Speaking of which, what about Uncle, Rin, and Sakura?" Aya asked. "I know that they live in Fuyuki, but should we tell them about what's happening?"

"There wouldn't be any point, your Uncle and his family left for Finland about the same time you went to Romania for a business trip." Ayaka revealed. "I don't even know where they're staying, and considering that none of them even have a cellphone, trying to reach them would take too long."

"Ahaha..." The young blonde gave out a dry laugh at that. Unlike the two of them, the rest of the family were rather... behind the times in utilizing technology.

"Ah, now that I remember it, you're all guests." Ayaka suddenly said as she stood up. "Perhaps you all would want something to drink. I take it that tea would be fine then?"

Arthur and Jeanne nodded at this, as for Waver...

"So long as it isn't milk, then anything is fine." He replied as the elderly woman nodded.

Ayaka then turned her her attention towards to another, a certain wheel-chair bound brunette, the current head of the Yggdmillennia family. She noted that the girl was about the same age her own granddaughters, perhaps slightly older.

"How about you young lady? Aside from telling me earlier about what happened together with the others, you've been really quiet so far."

Saying that, the elderly woman allowed her gaze to fall upon Fiore, the young brunette being taken by surprise by her words.

"No, no, it's nothing." She replied, waving her hands in front of her. "You don't have to worry about me, I was just wondering about something."

Said something being the vial of blue liquid given to her by Archer of Red. She wondered to herself if she should take it later. If Archer's words were true, then it would cure her paralysis without the need for the surgery that would cost her ability to use magecraft. With it, she would be able to do much more with herself afterwards.

Fiore really wanted to try it now, but there were too many unknowns. But as Archer said, if he wanted to kill her, then he would do it with his own two hands rather through some contemptible means. She decided to push away said thoughts for now as she spoke with Ayaka.

"I see. In any case, do you want some tea?"

"If it's not too much of a bother, then I'll have some." Fiore smiled.

"Good, now then, where did I put those tea bags?"

"I'll help you out!" Aya quickly went over to aid her grandmother.

* * *

"There are so many pigeons here!"

Roche complained as he waved his hand to shoo away any that were too close to him. Right now, he and Caster, along with the homunculi they had brought along as extra hands, including the ones that served as the power sources of the Servants, were currently setting up shop as fast they could.

"Come now Roche, it's not all that bad."

Medea said as she floated into the greenhouse through an open space.

"Teacher! You're already finished with setting up the field?"

"I have. Since this estate already had one to begin with, I merely had to make a few changes in order for it to suit our needs." The Servant of Magic replied as a few of the pigeons flew beside her. Stretching out her arm, one of them landed on it. To which, the hooded Servant began gently petting the small creature.

"Say teacher, what do you make of everything that's happened so far?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm curious." Roche began as fidgeted somewhat nervously. "I mean, back then. When Assassin offered you to join them, I honestly thought that you would. I mean, you were called the Witch of Betrayal after all. So, I thought..."

"Hehe~" The woman giggled and smiled at her young Master. "You believed that I would betray you? Come here Roche, allow me to tell you something."

The ginger-haired boy did so, walking towards his Servant as she knelt down to meet his eyes on an even level. As she lowered her hood, Roche could only marvel at what a beautiful person his Servant was. Pointy ears included.

"When I was young, I was robbed of my life by forces out of my control, at the whims of a goddess playing with fates of man. I ended up becoming a witch, one feared by many people. Near the end of my life, I wanted to change it, to live a life free from the troubles of my old one. With the grail, I believe that would be possible."

At that moment, a thought came to Medea's mind as she continued speaking.

"Tell me, how old are you now Roche?"

"I'm twelve years old."

"Twelve? I was around fourteen when I became an instrument to be used by others." The hooded Servant smiled crookedly as she laid a hand upon his head. "When I look at you, I'm somewhat reminded of myself from back then. If turned on you, a child no less, then I would be no better than the ones who used me in the first place. At least, that's what I've come to believe. A hypocrite such as myself can only go so far I suppose."

The young boy could only nod at this, understanding his Servant a little more.

"So do not worry, I am here to protect you Roche." The blue-haired woman said. "That should be something that even I can do as a Servant can't I?"

"Yes, I'm sorry for doubting you." The ginger-haired boy replied in a somewhat shameful tone.

"You asked me what I make of everything so far?" She added. "Truthfully, the idea of there being a third faction out there troubles me the most. Thankfully, we have allies to work with. And should the opportunity arise, I may be able to add more to our ranks."

"Wait, you don't mean using _that_ do you?"

"If it comes down to it, I don't see why not." Medea replied. "Ruler might become opposed to it, but I believe I can convince her otherwise for me to utilize it. With that girl who's planning on summoning the creature known as the Beast, we would need all resources we can use against it if its as dangerous as the others believe it to be."

"The Beast..."

...!

The sound of glass breaking caught both their attentions as the Master and Servant duo turned their gazes towards the source. There, a homunculus had accidentally dropped one of the beakers they had brought along from the castle.

"Ah! Will you be careful...!?"

* * *

"Sixty years..."

Seated across from each other at a table in the dining room were Arthur and the older Ayaka, both of whom were currently drinking cups of tea. From her place at living room sofa, Jeanne quietly observed the duo with interest as they began speaking with one another.

"Right now, it hardly seems like that doesn't it?"

"Before the war officially began, I still remember the times when you would ask me to carry you on my shoulders." Arthur said, causing the elder woman to pinch her brow as an embarrassed smile appeared on her face. "You were a rather adorable child back then, to think you're now an old woman."

At this, Ayaka merely smiled.

"Saber, you do realize that it's rude to call a woman by her age don't you?"

"Wait, what?" The young man blinked. "Aah, wait I wasn't-"

"Hehe, you haven't changed. Perhaps it isn't surprising considering that you're a Servant."

With that, Ayaka then turned her gaze towards the young saint currently serving as the white knight's Master. Once she noticed her looking, Jeanne froze up slightly as she was caught staring at the two much to her embarrassment.

"And just like back then, you're fighting under a blonde-haired Master too." The elderly woman muttered as she began smiling. "Somethings don't change do they?"

"Perhaps they don't, but I'm not complaining."

Arthur said, smiling as he too gazed at Jeanne. Blushing slightly under the attention of both, Jeanne quietly allowed herself to sink behind the sofa with a light smile as she waved at the two.

"She seems like a good person." Ayaka commented, turning her attention back towards Arthur. "Are you alright with her as your Master? Another Servant?"

"Of course. Right now, there's no one else I'd rather serve."

"Hehe, now that's a good sentiment to have." Th elderly woman said before her smile turned into a frown. "Tell me Saber, is it true then? About what you people said earlier about this girl who took the Greater Grail?"

Knowing where the topic was headed, Arthur remained silent as he Ayaka continued.

"That girl... it's my sister isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is..." Arthur nodded solemnly. "You've become perceptive, how did you know?"

"Manaka was always a talented person, even I could tell that back then." Ayaka replied with a shrug as placed both hands together. "Even if I didn't want to believe it, I wouldn't be surprised if she was still alive even today, doing who knows what with her abilities. The story you told me just know felt like something she would do."

"Would do you make of your sister?" He asked. "I used to think I knew her, but I'm no longer sure of that..."

"Then that applies to the both of us." She replied once more. "Since we were siblings, I always thought I knew my sister better than anybody else in the world, but then she tries to sacrifice me to the Holy Grail together with a bunch of other children. Luckily, you saved us."

Ayaka stated as she smiled at Arthur, who in turn merely scratched his cheek in turn. The fact was that he didn't actually save them, not with what he planned that day. Now that he thought about it, he really should ask about _that_.

"Speaking of which, how did you all escape from the cavern?" He decided to ask, the question being something that had been bothering him for some time. "From my last memories of that day, you all were inside a cave when it collapsed. I was... unable to do anything for you back then."

"Wait, weren't you the one who rescued us?" Ayaka muttered in surprise. At this, Arthur realized that she didn't know the answer either. He then began wondering who could've done it. The only possible person he could think of at the moment was Shirou.

 _'Could it have been him...?'_

With some shame, he admitted that. If it really was the white-haired youth who was responsible, then he would remember to thank him for it, even if Arthur wasn't worthy of saying it considering he would've sacrificed those children if meant destroying the grail.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing."

Despite saying that, the look on Arthur's face wasn't lost on Jeanne. With that...

* * *

-A little while later-

"There's something that bothered you earlier, isn't there?"

With Waver having gone out to meet with some people, Fiore, Ayaka, and Aya deciding to help out Caster and Roche in setting up the workshop, and Saber of Black and Rider of Red both serving as lookouts for now, only Jeanne and Arthur were the only ones left in the living room. Seeing a chance, the young saint decided to pursue the earlier matter.

"I see that there's no hiding it from you."

"There isn't, and what have I already told you before?"

"My apologies, it's just that... there are things that do not add up."

"And what would those be?"

"Sixty years ago, I killed Manaka and destroyed the grail." He began, staring into space as he did so. "There were... complications when I decided on the latter. That man, Shirou, he planned on using the grail himself and appeared before me. He and I fought for a little while, but he eventually used a Command Spell on me. And, well, I suppose you can guess what happened next..."

"Oh, I see..."

Jeanne could only frown at this. The idea of forcing someone to kill themselves... it just sounded so wrong to her. Even if she had the ability to do so through the Command Spells on her back, she believed she wouldn't be able to bring herself to do it. Even if it was the pragmatic choice.

The idea that Arthur was ordered to do so...

"Wait, if he forced you to kill yourself, then how did you-"

"I wouldn't be much of a hero if I died from a simple command such as that. After all, I faced worst actually." Arthur smiled somewhat. "At any rate, thanks to a loophole in his command, I was able to make use of Excalibur as a suicide attack. With it, I was able to destroy the grail."

"I see." The young saint nodded in understanding. "But that's not what's troubling you is it?"

"Well, I wouldn't call troubled so much as I am curious..." He replied. "You see, back then... when I decided to destroy the grail. The children that I saved from Manaka, including Ayaka, they were all still there."

"You don't mean-"

"I won't make any excuses." Arthur smiled crookedly, his guilt showing on his face. "If there's anything I had to say, it's that I'm glad that Ayaka and the children survived. If they didn't, well... it would've been another burden on my conscience."

"I see..." She supposed she could understand, even if she didn't necessarily agree with it.

"Does it change you opinion of me?"

"No, I still think you're a good person." Jeanne shook her head, smiling at her friend. "No matter what, I believe that to be true."

The young man merely chuckled slightly at this, knowing that she would say as such. The young saint noted there was something different about the way he did it, but at the moment she didn't really focus on it much as she continued onto their next topic.

"In any event Arthur, when do you think Shirou's next move will be?" Jeanne asked. "I know that we've just arrived in the city, but I cannot shake the feeling that they'll make it soon. Perhaps I'm merely being paranoid."

"Maybe, but what do your abilities tell you?" He asked.

"Aside from knowing where the remaining Red and Black Servants are, I cannot detect the presence of any others. Either they aren't in the city or they're just outside my range of detection. Speaking of which, I have lost my connection to Assassin of Black." She revealed, frowning. "I think we can agree on what that means."

"Given the nature of the class-cards, I believe we do." Arthur nodded in understanding. "What about Caster and Assassin of Red? Has your connection to the both of them have been separated as well?"

"Strangely enough, no." Jeanne replied. "And while I can still feel both their presence, I do not know where exactly they could be. I believe that fortress of theirs may have an ability that can help shield them even from my own detection capabilities. Either that, or their in a location that exceeds my range."

"Considering that we failed to notice that fortress coming close, there's a chance that it really does have stealth capabilities." Arthur suggested.

"Perhaps..." She nodded in agreement.

A thought then came to Jeanne's mind. Now that they were here in Japan, perhaps she should go _that place_ herself. As unlikely as it was, it may provide some insight in regards to their other foes. That, and she was curious.

"Arthur, I need to ask something of you." She began.

"What is it?"

"Can you take me the site of where the original grail was last located at?"

* * *

"And there they go..."

In the far distance, two individuals stood together atop a building as they both watched Ruler and Saber heading out on a motorcycle. One of them was none other than Robin Hood himself, a cigarette in his mouth as he observed the duo leave their new base.

"Hoh? So that's the legendary King of Knights?"

His companion beside him stated as the orange-haired rogue looked at him.

Much like the King of Knights himself, he wore plate armor as well. Though the latter's was far more ornate and intricately design in comparison, and his had a red cape that hanged itself off his left shoulder. A sheathed sword dangled off his waist, both of which designed intricately as well. And much like the former, he also had blonde hair. Though his was longer and tied into short braids along with having red streaks in them.

Whenever Robin gazed at him, he always had this aristocratic feel to him. While he was never one to get along with such people, the person beside him was different.

"What, you want to fight him?"

"And you do not? That would perhaps be the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon me as a Hero of England." He stated.

"Yeah well I'm not really one for a fair fight. Too much of a coward to be a proper hero."

"Nonsense! The fact that you are right now proves that you are a hero. You're simply not fit for the front lines is all." The blonde replied reassuringly to his companion. "At any rate, I believe it would only be proper for us to greet him as fellow British natives."

"Hey, hey, our job today is just too observe."

"I never said we were going to fight." While saying that, the blonde knight turned his head away.

"Yeah but the look in your eyes told me otherwise." Robin deadpanned before sighing.

Considering his identity, he shouldn't have been surprised. He was renowned for being something of a battle maniac. And as Servant, perhaps it was only natural that he would want to cross blades with powerful heroes, most especially ones that came from their homeland as well. The King of Knights would have been one of those at the top of his list if that was the case. Knowing that, he asked.

"You're still going either way aren't you?"

"Will you try to stop me?"

After giving a few minutes to think regarding the matter, the rogue archer merely sighed in defeat as he spoke.

"Oh what the hell. We'll do what you want. But we ain't doing anything too stupid you got me?"

"Hahaha! Now that's the spirit!" The blonde knight laughed as he patted his companion on the back, a little too hard actually as the orange-haired Servant nearly tripped as a result. "Now then, I ask you this as the friend of the person whose name you've taken on for your own."

He unsheathed his blade, pointing it at the rogue archer.

"Can you prove your mettle Sir Robin Hood?"

"Whatever you say Richie, let's just get this over with." He replied, wondering what was with the sword point all of a sudden.

"Very good, let us be off then!" The blonde knight smiled.

With that, two then leaped off the building, turning into spirit form and giving chase to the duo of Saber and Ruler.

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

And that's CH18 folks, hope you all enjoyed it :)

You know what, the name Aya was something that never came to me until recently. I should've just named Blonde-Ayaka that while maintaining her Sajyou name, but I wanted her to be related to the Tohsaka for reasons and because I thought Tohsaka Ayaka sounded nice. Speaking of which, yes, Proto-Ayaka is Tokiomi's mother in this fic. And yes, he had a brother, who is now dead along with his wife due to reasons. So you won't be seeing him nor who he was XP

As for the scene with Medea and Roche, that was something that should've been included last chapter, but I forgot. So better late than never I suppose XP While some will say she's out of character, I still stand by the idea of Medea being a good person so long as she isn't summoned by an dick or very desperate, the latter of which came about once she fell in love with Kuzuki. But here, that never happened. So yeah XP

Also, in regards to you know who's appearance in the finale scene. I'll be honest, I originally wasn't going to include a Rogue Saber because of Lu Bu. But after I axed him off, I decided to anyway, and the candidates for said role were Gawain or Richard. I chose the latter because I can have more fun with him than with the former, mostly because of how I read that Richard kinda acts like a mixture between Arthur and Iskander. While I might not be able to do that, I'll at least try to do right by him and make him fun.

Lastly, a shout out to _**ForteOfTheBallad98.**_ Guy's helped me out a lot with the past few chapters, so thanks man! XD

I also got recommended on TvTropes. No page yet, but sure is something :D

* * *

 _ **As for those who had questions:**_

 _ **Orphee:**_ As someone who exists outside the time stream, EMIYA can exist in timelines where the Fuyuki fire never happened. That said, I don't plan on including him because I don't want to add any more people from FSN except for those I already have. And as for the thing with Cu, I'm not even answering that because I can't take it seriously. Just read the fic to know whether or not he did it or if he didn't.

 _ **No need be weak:**_ Read the story and you'll find out. And try to limit your questions to one review per chapter. It's something I try to do for the most part, mostly because it's easier to sort out stuff that way.

 ** _Guest:_** Does this chapter answer your question? Ayaka doesn't really ask it, mostly because it would take too long to answer why exactly that is, but the point is still there. And yes, I know that True-Archer is Heracles' human side. And to anyone who asks, no, I won't be using him in FMB. I already got Gilgamesh, Karna, and Ramesses in this fic, along with several other badasses, so including him would be overkill already. Perhaps in a future fic I would.

 _ **ordinary bystand:**_ Does this chapter answer your question? :)

 _ **Black 13:**_ It's a secret XP

 ** _Code Zero:_** Why are you even asking me that? I see no point to answering it even if it has something to do with FMB. And I actually have a reason for shipping the two together, which is also part of the reason as to why I made SF-Ayaka part of the Tohsaka family.

 _ **Cain:**_ With the way Chiron died, any form of respect was thrown out the window.

* * *

That's it for now, please review :D


	19. Act II-19: The Two Kings

_**AN: Here's CH19 folks. Enjoy, and note that fights are never my strong point. Please review :D**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 19:**_

 ** _The Two Kings_**

* * *

 _'Why is it always me...?'_

Caules could only sigh to himself as he followed both Rider and Berserker through the city of Tokyo. Accompanying him were Sieg and the mercenary known as Kairi Shishigou, but since the former didn't really talk much unless spoken to, and the latter was someone he still had trouble trusting, he still felt as though he was the only there to look out for the two Servants.

As for the others, Archer of Red wanted to explore another part of the city. In particular, the red-eyed blonde was interested in going to Akihabara of all places. Given what he had seen of him, Caules actually expected the Golden King to avoid such a place. He wondered why he would go there himself. Lancer of Red decided to follow him, just to keep track of Archer. Joining him were Reines and Gray, the Masters of the two heroes respectively.

 _'Well, I'd guess I might as well enjoy myself too...'_

Truth be told, he had been wanting to visit Japan for quite some time now. Now that he was here, the city was much like how he imagined it to be.

A modernized urban setting, the streets filled with people going about their daily routine, shops and stores of differing services open to the public, and an overall lively atmosphere it was far different compared to Trifas. If it wasn't for the fact that he was part of a secret war, he probably would've been more enthusiastic to be part of their little exploration party.

Speaking of which...

"Whoa, look at those guys...!"

People, two boys in particular, began observing their group. Caules even clearly hear what they were saying.

"You think they're foreigners Matsuda?" One of them, a boy with glasses, asked.

"Probably Motohama." The other, a bald boy, replied. "Look at that girl with the horns and the tail. Is that cosplay? That's best one of I've ever seen! Dammit, if I only had my camera with me!"

"Yeah, not to mention she's really cute. You think she's single?"

Elizabeth smirked to herself, finding it natural that the common folk would be enamored by her appearance, happy that her beauty was getting the attention it deserved. It was the first step to achieving her dream after all.

With that said...

"What about the one with the braid? Now she's a real keeper!"

"Yeah, she's breaking the rules alright. She's too cute!"

Frowning, the Servant of Madness began to silently glare at the young paladin walking beside her. Placing a hand behind his head, said pink-haired warrior stuck his tongue out cutely in an apologetic manner as he waved at his companion.

As for Caules, he felt sorry for Berserker. Her moment of glory had just been shattered by a skirt-wearing guy. Now that would've been a sick burn for any woman.

"What about the blonde one?"

Mordred's ears perked up at this. Her Master felt a sense of dread coming on, and as such laid a hand on his Servant's shoulder.

"Keep your cool, we don't want to cause any trouble."

She nodded in understanding, but, once they began speaking...

"She's a babe too, especially with that outfit of hers." Motohama's glasses shined for a moment. "A small bust of seventy-three, but damn does she have a pretty face."

"You think she'd try us out? I mean are we that lucky?"

One could practically feel the lust coming from guys who said that. Caules couldn't blame them really, not when Saber of Red's civilian outfit consisted of a tube top and daisy dukes along with an open red jacket that showed off said ensemble. Even the young teen had moments when he couldn't help but stare, and thankfully the blonde-haired Servant hadn't caught him doing it...

"You people...!"

...Unlike with the ones who were staring at her right now.

"GAAAAARGH!"

At this, Kairi could only shake his head as he watched Saber going to town on the two guys who were ogling her, Rider, and Berserker.

"So much for keeping cool..." He sighed.

And as much as he wanted to reprimand Saber, those two were simply asking for it. As such, he allowed her to do as she pleased. He found that both were lucky that she was restraining herself, otherwise they both would have been bloodstains on the ground by now.

"Is it alright for you to be following us?"

Walking up to the mercenary, Caules decided to ask him the question that's been on his mind since earlier.

"What, you got a problem with it?"

"It's not that, I mean you shouldn't you be together with your own people?" The young teen asked. "After all, even if we are in an alliance, we're still your enemies aren't we? So if anything happens to us, you wouldn't be bothered by it."

"Those two can take care of themselves, especially with Archer and Lancer. You on the other hand I'm not so sure about." Kairi replied pointed out. "Besides, I'm having doubts your group can beat us with your current strength. And given how everything has turned to shit recently, I'd say the time for our groups to be fighting is already done."

Though a part of him wanted to disagree on the second part, Caules knew that the older man had a point. The deciding factor at the moment was Lancer of Red. Knowing his identity, he knew that without Archer of Black, unless they went after Lancer's Master they had already lost the war to the Red Faction. Lancer's protection against non-divines made him one of the biggest obstacles to face, perhaps even more so than Archer who he felt was actually more dangerous.

Not that he was really troubled by it. The idea of surrendering... it was something that he would've welcomed so long as he and his sister could make it out alright, Roche too even if he didn't get along with him that well. From the beginning, he only took part in the war because he wanted to protect his sister, and Fiore only really took part not because she wanted to heal her legs, but because she was afraid of defying their grandfather.

With him now dead and her in charge of the family, there was no longer any real reason for them to keep fighting aside from helping their Servants fulfill their wishes. Which to his knowledge only Caster and Berserker still had wishes they wanted fulfilled as both Saber and Rider lacked one.

Sighing to himself, he should wonder more about that later Right now, there were other matters to deal with it.

Such as the ongoing beat down that was occurring right in front of them...

"WHAT COLOR DO YOU BLEED?!"

"WE'RE SORRY!"

Both had to note that none of the people watching were actually reporting what was going on. It was either due to apathy or because they were enjoying the sight and felt that the two boys deserved it. Or perhaps even a combination of both. That said, it would only be matter of time before they were caught by local law enforcement.

"Say, shouldn't you stop Saber right about now?" Caules asked, though he wasn't really interested. "I mean anymore and we may end facing charges of assault from the police."

"Nah, we can always use hypnosis to make them forget." Kairi replied with a smirk.

* * *

"They're doing what...!?"

Inside a room within the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Julian Ainsworth sat at a desk when Beatrice came in dropped an unexpected piece of new. Once she did so, the young teen quickly stood up in anger.

"Are those two idiots even thinking...!? What makes them think they can just disobey orders like that!?"

He should've expected as much from Archer, but to think that a Knight like Saber would so casually break ranks just so he could meet with the King of Knights himself. If the two had any common sense, then they should know that

"Ahaha...! Please don't get mad Lord Julian~!" Beatrice begged, both hands in front of her trying to calm the young teen down. "Once they get back, I'll make sure that Archer is properly punished~!"

"It's your fault to begin with, you should've kept a closer eye on them you fool!" The black-haired youth exclaimed, frightening the girl. "I knew I should have had Angelica be the ones to keep an eye on them. She at least commands respect from the Servants."

"Y-Yes...! It's all my fault...!"

Beatrice nodded in shame, turning her head around to make sure that her face was hidden. Once she felt secure, her eyes snapped open in fury as she gritted her teeth, her hands clenching into fists as her thoughts went to the rogue archer.

 _'I'M GOING TO CASTRATE THAT SON OF A BITCH!'_

For causing Lord Julian to become angered like this, for making him angry at her... it was unacceptable! Archer needed to learn his place, and thankfully his nature as a Class-Card Servant allowed her to do just that. While she wasn't confident in her ability to inflict pain upon a Servant, she was looking forward to seeing how much damage he could take while being slammed repeatedly in the family jewels with her favorite mallet.

Beatrice also pondered if she should involve Angelica as their Lord clearly favored her for being the "reliable one" among the duo. She would show her a thing or two, no one could have their Lord's favor but her... **No one!**

"Why so serious Julian-kun?"

Stepping into the room with a smile on his face, Kotomine Shirou greeted his ally much to the latter's displeasure.

"Kotomine..." Julian began as he frowned. "Don't refer to me so casually like that."

"Now that's just cold." The white-haired hero smirked. "At any rate, I overheard you shouting. What exactly is happening?"

Sighing, Julian sat back into his chair. "Saber, Archer, and Assassin have found out where the alliance is currently making base. Like you expected them to, they've made camp at Sajyou Ayaka's estate. According to their observations, they've already turned it into a proper foothold."

"I see." The young hero nodded.

To him, it was natural that their group would seek out Ayaka's same-named grandmother for aid. As someone whose family history is heavily involved with the Holy Grail War, it was a natural course of action. And with the estate itself being fairly defensible, they were now harder to target. Perhaps he should've laid a trap there the moment they arrived in the city. Alas, his mind had other priorities then.

Shaking his head, that was a matter he would have to deal with later. For now, he continued to listen to his associate's story.

"After Assassin decided to continue on with their patrol, both Saber and Archer remained to continue observation." The black haired youth's frown grew. "Which they then decided to forgo with after Saber decided he wants to meet with the King of Knights. As we speak, the two of them are giving chase after both him and Ruler. By the time we found out, they've already went past the city limits."

"Now I see, he wants have a duel with his predecessor does he?" Shirou smiled, understanding the feeling.

"What's this...!?"

Entering the room with a rather deafening cry was Shakespeare. The English Writer currently had a large grin on his face, perhaps the largest one he had to date.

"Our friend the Lionheart aims to take on the King of Knights? Glorious! Simply glorious!" He cheered in delight. "Tell me good Sir Julian, where might I find these two Kings!? I must record this event for the sake of future generations!"

"Go find them yourself." The black haired youth muttered in distaste.

"Very well then, I'll shall ask the Queen of Assyria!"

With that, the Servant of Magic left the room in posthaste. Shirou couldn't help but smile as a result of Caster's reaction. Not that he could blame him that is, considering that both knights were rather famous individuals of his home country, and idea of them fighting... As a fellow Englishman, perhaps it was only natural for him to react like that.

Then again, Caster wasn't exactly a normal person by common standards, so that statement was perhaps invalid.

"I don't see why your smiling the way you are right now." Julian replied, glaring at the white-haired priest. "As I see it, we may end up losing our latest addition soon after having just summoned him. It's not exactly something to look forward to."

"I never said it was." The former stated in response as they got back their current topic. "And don't worry, the situation is still salvageable."

"Are you going to use a command spell to force them back?" He asked. "This your fault as well to begin with after all."

"No, that would be a waste of resources." Shirou replied once more. "And besides, I believed that getting into Saber's good graces would be more beneficial wouldn't you agree? He'll be more likely to do right by us if we allow him free reign time and again."

"How do we even know we can trust Saber? He's a knight after all."

"It's because he's a knight that he's trustworthy." The young priest smiled in response. "I've already spoken to him about our goals, and he seems to be supportive of it for the most part. If anything, I don't believe that he'll betray us anytime soon. Especially since he has already sworn fealty to our cause, and Knights tend to take their oaths rather seriously after all."

"Believe what you must." Julian shook his head. "At any rate, what about our current situation?"

"I'm keeping Lancer on standby, Rider is still in recovery, and Berserker lost his aircraft." Shirou muttered to himself before realization struck him. "I'll have our friend the Chaste Huntress back them up if needed. With her speed, she should be able to catch up with them in no time. Where exactly are they headed in the first place?"

"The last site of the original grail."

"Oh, well now that's rather ironic..." Shirou noted, having just come back from said location himself earlier.

* * *

"So this is it..."

Saying that, Jeanne stood in the middle of the cavern where the original grail was last located at.

Perhaps she should've expected it, but there was nothing there. Aside from the huge gaping hole right above them, which she noted must've caused by Arthur in his attempt to destroy the grail, there wasn't much there. Using her abilities, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary aside from the larger quantities of mana lingering in the air in comparison to anywhere else near their location.

"Did you find what you were seeking?"

"No, there's nothing here." The young saint replied. "It was wishful thinking to believe that we would find something here after so long."

"Perhaps, but it was something to go on." Arthur stated as he laid a hand upon her shoulder. "Don't let yourself be dismayed by this. As far as I remember, there are still two more locations where the original grail used to appear in past Holy Grail Wars. We could always go there in hopes of finding something."

Jeanne nodded at this, knowing that her friend was right. As the two turned to leave, a question popped up in the young saint's mind.

Thinking about it now, perhaps it really was a mistake to come to this place. Considering her friend's history with it, coming along may have ended up bringing up bad memories for the young man. As such, she couldn't help but ask.

"What's it like...? Being here again?"

Stopping, Arthur allowed his eyes to fall back upon his Master, who currently had a neutral look on her face as she gazed at him.

"This is the place where that girl Manaka was... where she was sacrificing children to the grail back then, wasn't she?" She asked before her lips curved into a frown. "And this where you decided to betray her didn't you? And where you left her for dead..."

Shaking his head with a smile, the young man expected this from his Master. Truly, she was a kind person to be worrying after him like this.

"I'll admit, it's strange being back here after all this time." The white knight began, smile turning crooked as he gazed at their surroundings. "Coming here, it makes me wonder if my actions back then meant anything at all. Did my destroying the grail prove to be for the better or for the worse? With the knowledge that there have been countless other grail wars in the past half century, and with what Manaka told us the other night, I feel that I no longer know the answer to that anymore."

"Arthur-" Jeanne began.

"It's alright, I'm just having thoughts." He immediately said, raising his hand to stop the young saint, surprising her. "You needn't worry yourself about how I feel, and you've been too kind to me already. Anymore and I'm being selfish beyond what I can accept."

Taking a moment to sigh and relax, he smiled at her and continued.

"Right now, what I do know is that we have two enemies we must stop. Manaka and Shirou. Neither of them can be allowed to utilize the grail for their own purposes. For that reason, I shall devote whatever I have to aid you, the mediator of this war, in that quest. For I find a no worthier cause."

...!

Ah, there it was again.

The young saint noticed it since yesterday, earlier at the house, and right now she was able to take note of it once more.

"Arthur... there's something different about you now." She decided to outright say it.

"Hmm? What makes you say that?" Arthur asked in surprise.

"Well, how do I say this...?" She began, trying to find the right words.

It was most apparent to her whenever he smiled. Given their earlier talk from before at the house, he was still prone to keeping issues to himself unless prodded. But despite that, he just seemed so much... more brighter for some reason. From the way he carried himself, it was as though a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Something good happened to you didn't it?" Jeanne asked, remembering the probably cause of it. "What happened between you and Lancer's Master?"

"Ah, I did promise to tell you about that didn't I?"

While he didn't really think much of sharing what happened then, his Master was curious. As such, Arthur felt that he should answer her questions nonetheless.

"Well, how do I-"

...!

He stopped as both felt a two powerful presences headed towards them, one of which was a familiar to the duo.

"This feeling... is it Archer?" The former said.

"It is, and the one accompanying him is..."

Jeanne began, searching her memory for similar sensations but failed to come up with anything. Realizing what that meant, she spoke.

"It looks as though the Rogue Faction have summoned up a new Servant. And whoever they are, I feel they're not to be trifled with so easily."

When she compared it to the feeling she got when she first met Karna, the feeling she was having now wasn't as dreadful. Still, there was a certain amount of danger that could be felt by the young saint, and that was enough for her to react the way she did.

"Perhaps it would be best to continue our topic later." Arthur suggested before smiling at the young saint. "Shall we go greet them then?"

"Indeed, let's do so." Jeanne smiled back.

* * *

"You really think they would come?"

Sitting atop a boulder in the middle of a forest clearing, Robin posed his question to the blonde-haired knight.

"They should. After all, we did flare up our presences earlier. So they should be coming at us as we speak." Saber replied with a smile.

"Remind me again just how you managed to convince me to do that."

He stated with sour look as the blonde merely chuckled in response. So much for not doing anything stupid. Right now, what they were doing was the definition of the word since there was a high probability of them being killed as a result of their actions.

Still, with only Saber and Ruler, perhaps they still had a chance of getting through alright.

 _'Maybe I should've set some traps though...'_

While he had suggested the idea, his companion quickly rebuked him, saying that such an act shamed them as warriors and Servants. He said that the proper course was to face the enemy head on, no need for petty tricks. The rogue had to wonder to himself just how in the hell the person beside him managed to live the way he did when he clearly disliked setting traps and ambushes.

He concluded that it was most likely due to his desire to fight equally with the King of Knights. Damn battle maniac, why did he have to get paired with him of all people? He would preferred Kitty. Though they didn't really get along, she was more understanding of his way of fighting as his fellow Archer.

Robin's thoughts came to an end when two people landed in the space right in front of him and Saber, both of whom were in their full battle regalia.

"Ah! It's about time you two arrived." Saber said, stepping forward with the intent of introducing himself. "Pleased to meet the both of you, I am-"

"Servant Saber." Jeanne stated before the former could finish. "That's who you are, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am, and you are none other than Ruler." He confirmed as a grin grew on his face. "What a lovely maiden you are. If not for the fact that we're enemies, then I would enjoy spending some time with you if you would accept."

"I decline that offer." The young saint quickly replied without missing a beat while Arthur narrowed his eyes a result.

"Ah, well that's not surprising." The blonde knight chuckled in response.

Having laid her eyes upon him, Jeanne was able to confirm Saber's identity through the use of her abilities.

King Richard I, otherwise known as **Richard the Lionheart**. A King of England well known for his participation in the Third Crusade, most notably in his conflict with the Muslim leader Saladin. Well regarded by some, demonized by others, one thing that was constant was how he was described as a fearsome warrior.

What surprised her the most about him though was the fact that Richard bore a resemblance to Arthur. With the exception of the short braid, red eyes, and red streaks of hair, one could mistake them for the other from a distance.

"So I guess the same goes for me too? Servant Archer at your service."

Robin greeted with a mock bow, and through his words and the way he looked at them, Jeanne noted that he indeed lacked any sort of memories from their last encounter.

While she thought this, Richard was staring at the white knight beside her with a smile.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, King of Knights."

"You know of me?"

"Of course, you are my predecessor after all." Richard revealed much to Arthur's surprise. "Like you, I am a King born and raised on the island of Britain. If my words do not convince you, then I believe Ruler can confirm it instead."

Looking towards the young saint, the white knight saw her nodding in response to his gaze, confirming the words of the other blonde knight. At this, the young man blinked in surprise once more as he stared at the other blonde as the latter continued to speak.

"Now with that out of the way, allow me to formally introduce myself." He paused for a moment. "I am King Richard, and I humbly request a duel with you, King Arthur."

Blinking in surprise at how he so casually revealed his identity and asked for a fight, Arthur spoke.

"Wait, did you come out all this way just so you could duel with me?"

"Indeed I did. Is there something wrong with that?"

Sensing the honesty in his words, Arthur quickly knew that he was being sincere. For whatever reason, this King Richard truly was interested in fighting him.

For Jeanne, she was able to understand why. King Richard was sometimes known for his battle lust, and the idea of being able to take on a legendary figure such as Arthur... the idea must've been too great for him to resist in spite of the possible repercussions of such a thing, one of which ending in his death.

"If that's the case, then why is Archer here?" The white knight said, gazing at the orange-haired rogue who perked up his head at his class title being mention.

"Oh don't mind me, I'm just here to make sure that neither you or Ruler take this idiot out." The rogue archer quickly replied.

"Now that's rather rude, who are you calling an idiot?" Richard demanded.

"Who do you think?" The former deadpanned with a dry look on his face. "If it wasn't for the fact that you were going to after these two, I wouldn't even be here. In fact, if we make it through this, I blaming you for everything."

"And here I thought you'd be willing to prove your mettle."

The blonde knight shook his head. He had at least expected someone who carried the name of old friend to be willing in having a duel against the King of Knights himself as well. Clearly though he was mistaken. He really should have a talk with Archer later on, if only to rectify his attitude so that he doesn't shame his old friend's name.

"So then, I take it you and I are to fight?"

Arthur began, stepping forward and extending his right hand outward to the side. A strong gust of wind wrapped itself around it, covering his arm before bursting forth to reveal a sword of intricate design now held by the white knight.

Richard's eyes glistened in wonder as he saw the blade, immediately recognizing it as the one true holy sword that belonged to his predecessor, that which signified him as the King of Knights.

"Excalibur...!" He mouthed with a grin. "How magnificent~! To think that I would be able to lay my eyes upon such a sacred treasure~!"

"I-Is that so...?"

The white knight replied, somewhat taken aback by how clearly enamored the other blonde was with his weapon, especially when Richard suddenly stepped closer and gazed upon it with a childlike gaze. Even Jeanne and Robin had their mouths open, having no words to describe what they were seeing.

"Ah! My apologies..."

Richard said, snapping out of it and realizing what he was doing. He then quickly leaped back a distance away from his predecessor.

"Now that was rather unbecoming of me." He began. "Now then, how about we make some terms for this duel?"

"How do I even know that you people aren't even trying something?"

"I swear on my name that I am not." Richard replied with all seriousness as he crossed his arms. "I challenge you on the basis of honor and pride, not only as both a king and as a warrior, but also as a fellow native of Britain."

"I sense that your words are sincere." Arthur began. "I take it that this duel to the death then?"

"Given that we are enemies, then that would be a yes." Richard replied with a smirk. "Ruler is more than welcome to take part in the battle herself, but I would prefer it if she and Archer remain as they are on the sidelines. That way, you and I can have a most joyous battle don't you agree?"

"Perhaps, but I doubt Archer would remain quiet when my Master is right here." Arthur stated, narrowing his eyes at the orange-haired rogue. "It would be too wasteful an opportunity to not try and take her out here and now."

"True, I'm thinking of seventeen different ways to kill Ruler from where I am." Robin smirked as the young saint frowned at him.

"You will do nothing of the sort." Richard glared.

Said act caused the rogue archer to freeze up slightly, as well as surprising the other two due to how intense he was. It was clear, he really was intending on fighting Arthur. And knowing that, it caused Robin to grumble in annoyance.

"Alright fine, I'll behave..."

With that, the red knight turned back to face his predecessor with a grin.

"Then that settles it. Do you accept my challenge?"

Thinking about it for a moment, Arthur smiled in response.

"Very well then, I accept."

"Most excellent~!"

Richard drew his sword, a simple yet ornate longsword with a golden hilt and pommel, holding it with both hands and pointed it at his fellow King. Arthur responded in kind by getting into stance himself. Seeing this, Jeanne called out to her companion.

"Wait, Arthur...!? What do you think you're-!?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Arthur quickly replied.

"I know, but still-"

"As a knight and king, I'm honor bound to respond to his challenge." The young man continued before smiling at the young saint. "You don't have to fear though, for I have no intention of losing this bout. I will walk out of it as the winner."

"Hah! We shall see about that...!" Richard exclaimed as he quickly charged straight at the King of Knights.

...!

The sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the area.

Arthur parried Richard's strike, their blades now pushing against one another as the two kings separated and began trading blows.

...!

The sound of metal echoed once more as the two broke off from one another.

A downward thrust aimed at his midsection, the former quickly countered by evading slightly and thrusting forward with Excalibur.

Reacting quickly, the red knight raised his sword and deflected the incoming strike, causing the white knight to flinch.

 _Above you..._

Recovering, Arthur gripped Excalibur as he swung it down, only for Richard to parry the swing with his own.

 _Watch your footing..._

The Crusader King quickly leaped as he dodged another incoming swing.

 _To your right..._

Using his sheath, Richard deflected Excalibur as swung his blade down upon his predecessor...

 _Don't forget your left..._

...Only for him to retract that action as he spun around and avoided being kicked in the head. As soon as the two faced each other again, they swung their swords.

...!

Metal echoed throughout the clearing as their swords traded blows with each other once more. As one might expect from two master swordsman, both were equally matched in swordplay. Arthur himself was rather impressed, for the red knight was a very skilled warrior.

And somehow, his foe was able to anticipate his movements. It clearly went beyond simple instinct or prediction of one's movements. If it really was the case, then with the fact that he was able to keep up with him, the knowledge that he could see his movements meant that they were going to find themselves at a stalemate.

Not that would allow that of course...

"Hah...!"

"...!?"

...!

As soon as his sword made contact with Excalibur, Richard suddenly found himself being blown back by a strong gust of wind. As soon as he regained his footing, the found himself wondering for a moment what in the world just happened.

Was it one of the King of Knight's abilities? So his predecessor had control over the wind itself... glorious!

While he thought this, Arthur quickly closed the distance between the two of them.

...!

Unleashing hard swings upon the red knight, who was parrying as best he could as he cursed himself for allowing himself to be distracted. It was soon apparent that Arthur had the upper hand now as Richard was forced back.

 _'What's this...!? His attacks are getting heavier with each swing!'_

Indeed, each time the white knight swung Excalibur, his blows felt as though he was being repeatedly with a heavy object. Each time the King of Knight's attacks connected, it caused the dirt, grass, and leaves around them to kick up. Together with this, his movements were now faster. Whatever it was he was doing, Richard would need to find a way to counter it soon. Otherwise, he was at a disadvantage.

A thought then came to the red knight as he smiled.

Perhaps it's a bit early to reveal it, but what the hell! His opponent was the King of Knights! If he held back, then it was nothing more than a grand insult, to both him and his predecessor, and that was something he couldn't allow.

That, and he was curious as to how the King of Knights would react to what he was about to do.

...!

As soon as they both broke off from each other once more, Richard momentarily broke stance as he stood still much to the confusion of his opponent and the other two onlookers. They all wondered what he was doing, when suddenly the red knight raised his head with a grin on his face.

"Come Saber!"

He then leaped straight at the white knight, with Arthur following suite.

As soon as they were both within striking range, Arthur felt a sudden surge of mana being gathered, looking to see the red knight's sword suddenly glowing brightly. He quickly realized that his opponent was about to use his Noble Phantasm.

 _'Wait, it couldn't be...!'_

He and the other two quickly realized that his opponent was about to use his Noble Phantasm. But what they didn't expect was the name that was about to be called out.

 ** _"EX-!"_**

Richard quickly stopped himself from going any further as he readied his blade, with Arthur still in motion as his widened his eyes in shock.

 _ **"-CALIBUR!"**_

* * *

...!

As soon as Atalanta landed upon another tree, she saw a blinding flash of light in the distance and felt explosion take place at the same time. From what she could tell, it was the result of Saber's Noble Phantasm. Her new ally had just unleashed it... just what exactly was happening right now?

Thinking for a moment, she realized that the quickest way to find the answer to that was to go there herself.

* * *

"Hmm? They're not here..."

After having finished his meeting, Waver had expected to see the duo of Ruler and Saber inside the living room.

But to his dismay as he entered, they weren't there. He was hoping to have a discussion with the two about their group's future plans, but it looks like he missed his opportunity. He wondered to himself where they could have gone.

And just as he thought that, Rider entered the room wearing his casual clothes.

"Rider, have you seen Ruler and Saber?" He asked, knowing that Rider had been on lookout duty together with Saber of Black that day.

"I did. They went somewhere about an hour or so ago, they said they had to check someplace out." He replied.

"They could've at least told me what they're were planning." Waver sighed. "Where did the say they were going?"

"Now let me see here..." The red-haired Servant placed a hand under his chin as began thinking. "I believe it was... the last location of the original grail or something, which was north of here. Ruler mentioned to me that there was something she wanted to try and confirm. Most likely, she's trying to figure out where Saber's former Master is residing at."

"I see. I suppose it makes sense to try and start looking there."

From what he knew, the location Rider was talking about was where the original grail was last situated in. It was inside a cavern a north from the city, within the Saitama Prefecture to be exact.

Sixty years ago however, an explosion took place there. Whatever it was, it left a gaping hole that lead directly into the cavern. Since it was too deep to fill in, city officials decided to close off the surrounding area as a result, which itself was actually due to people from the association not wanting civilians to get caught up in their interests there at the time.

Thinking about it now, the hole must've been the result of Saber's attempt at destroying the grail. Given the size of it from what he had seen in pictures, it was most likely his Noble Phantasm that resulted in it. It was either that, or the grail exploding was just that powerful. And with that said, he was surprised that Darnic was able to salvage something from the site enough to recreate the grail.

He didn't know if former head of Yggdmillennia was unaffected by the supposed evil of the grail. Considering their current situation, there was always a chance it was the result of some demon god wanting to entertain himself by watching people kill each other. Now that was a rather pleasant thought, if somewhat morbid.

"Gentlemen."

Entering the room through the use of magic, Caster of Black appeared before the Master and Servant duo.

"Caster, is there something the matter?"

Conjuring up her crystal ball, it showed a distant view of the forest.

"I sent out familiars earlier to scout out our surroundings, when one of them caught this happening."

...!

Before either of them knew it, a flash of light erupted and blinded their vision as an explosion could be heard taking place.

"Just to let you know, this explosion took place near where Ruler and Saber are currently located at."

"Wait, you knew that they went out and you didn't tell me?" Waver demanded as the Servant of Magic looked at him curiously.

"I thought you knew." Caster replied honestly. "At any rate, something's happening. And I intend to go there myself to find out."

"Can you even make that trip?" Rider asked as he crossed his arms. "Perhaps I should take you there with my chariot."

At this, the blue-haired woman smiled.

"Do not underestimate me. So long as it's only myself, I can get to any location with posthaste."

* * *

An explosion rang out and soon kicked up a dust cloud.

"Arthur...!"

Jeanne called out as she quickly began running towards the cloud that enveloped the two knights.

...!

She was stopped in her tracks by an arrow marking itself right in front of her right foot, barely missing it as it buried itself into the ground. Knowing the one responsible, the young saint glared at the rogue archer, who continued to sit atop his rock with a smirk on his face.

"Nope, you can't do that. Otherwise, you'll have to take me on little miss."

While he said that, the dust cloud began to clear up, and with it, Jeanne quickly focused her attention in trying to find her friend.

The young saint smiled in relief once she did, as she saw that the white knight was okay aside from a few minor wounds she could see on his body. When she allowed her gaze to fall upon the other knight, she saw a rather unexpected sight.

"Haha...! Now that was something...!"

A large gash was on his left shoulder, his cape now having been completely torn off together, as the red knight held his wound.

"Brilliant move, increasing your movement speed like that at the last second... I should've seen it coming."

 _'Shit...!'_

Robin thought worriedly as he saw his comrades injury. He was ready to make his move then, only for the knight to decline his aid with a short gaze. The rogue archer merely cursed him for his idiocy in return. Damn it all, if this keeps up, Saber may end up getting killed!

"You..." Arthur began as he stared in amazement at the red-eyed blonde. "You... just how in the world did you do that?"

"I'm a pretender..." Richard replied as he gathered his bearings. "Ever since I was a child, I've always admired you. You were everything every little boy from Britain aspired to be. And for me, it got the point I pretended that whatever I held was Excalibur. Even as an adult, I kept the illusion that I owned it. Perhaps that's why I can use it like that."

"I see..."

Arthur nodded in understanding, though he wasn't exactly convinced of being the ideal that children from Britain would aspire to. Still, for someone to have an Excalibur that wasn't his own nor Galatine... He really just didn't see it coming.

"At any rate, shall we continue?" Richard began as he stretched his neck.

"You plan on fighting with that wound?"

"I wouldn't be much of a Heroic Spirit if I allowed this to hinder me!"

...!

Words died out between the two they once more traded blows. Despite his injury, Richard wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. For that, Arthur couldn't help but respect his fellow British King. It took great focus to be able to do something like that.

"Tell me something, why do you work with that man?" Arthur began as he swung his sword. "Is it by choice or by your oath as a Servant?"

"You mean my Master?" Richard questioned as he parried the incoming strike.

...!

Their blades clashed against each other. Breaking off, Arthur swung his Excalibur to take Richard's head, the latter countered by ducking, swinging his blade at his predecessor's midsection. Seeing this, Arthur turned Excalibur and quickly deflected the blow.

It was quite clear to both Jeanne and Robin that both were enjoying their battle.

"Well if I had to say something, then both actually." Richard replied. "Perhaps it's because I see the value of what my Master is working towards."

"Do you sincerely believe it, that he can save the world?" The white knight then asked. "Tell me, has he even told you about the true nature of the grail?"

...!

As metal impacted upon metal, Arthur took advantage of how close his foe was and threw a punch at him, landing a direct blow on the other knight's face. Taken aback by such an action, the Crusader King merely smirked in delight as he fell back, dropping his sword as he did a handstand, spun around, and kicked Arthur clean on the torso.

"He has, and while I'll admit that the nature of the legendary artifact is suspect, I believe it is still a goal worthy of pursuit."

"Even if it means possible ruin for the world...!?"

"All my Master needs is a proper hand to guide him and the grail into a proper future. Besides..."

Richard paused in his words to his fellow knight as his sword began glowing.

"There's no harm in trying now is there...!?"

"Tch!"

...!

Reacting as quickly as he could, Arthur avoided the sudden blast of light that came from the blade. Said blast of light was smaller compared to his foe's earlier attack, and it shot itself clean through several trees.

However, the white knight wasn't fast enough as the attack singed his right arm. It wasn't really so bad that he couldn't use it anymore, but it would affect his way fighting until it was healed.

"I see, so you can even control the output as well."

"Impressive no? Will you not show me yours in turn?"

The Crusader King asked, for in truth, he was quite curious to see how powerful the original Excalibur was in comparison to the cheap impression he had. From its appearance and the strange letters inscribed upon its hilt, Richard could tell that it was no ordinary blade indeed.

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple." Arthur replied as he smiled. "And I don't need it right now to defeat you."

...!

Arthur once more used his Mana Burst, increasing the speed and weight of his movements and attacks.

"That again eh? Very well...!"

Through a combination of his swordplay and creative use of his Noble Phantasm, Richard began parrying Arthur's now reinforced sword swings with greater ease than earlier. He did this by using his Excalibur as pseudo booster and barrier using the light to deflect oncoming strikes.

"Not yet!"

Taking hold of his sheath, the red-eyed blonde began swinging it around as well, the makeshift weapon in question now glowing a similar light to the former's sword.

...!

Arthur had to be careful now, for one slip up equated to getting blasted from two different spots. As they once more traded blows, Richard's missed swings shot out blasts of light all over the clearing. Some of which headed straight for Jeanne and Robin.

Jeanne materialized her flag and blocked the blasts with ease, while the orange-haired rogue on the other hand to move out of the way each time as his ally continually and haphazardly used his noble phantasm.

"Shit..!" Robin cursed as he dodged another blast.

The duel of the two knights continued, with neither one showing any signs of giving in.

"If that's the case...!" Arthur began.

Winds began spiraling around Excalibur's blade as the white knight charged. Raising it over his head, the white knight swung it down.

 _Move..._

...!

Richard dodged to the side as a blast of air released itself, so strong that it sliced down several trees in one go.

While he did said act, Arthur quickly closed the distance between the two of them once more as he was poised to strike at the red-eyed blonde, with the latter retaliating with his own swing, his blade glowing brightly once more.

...!

Another explosion rang out as strong winds were felt by the two onlookers.

Smoke and dust covered the two, but after a while the smoke cleared to reveal the two knights standing across from each other with both their blades pointed at the other's neck, both staring intensely at one another with smiles on their faces.

"Shielding yourself with the wind... not bad." Richard complimented.

"Tell me something, do the other Servants who work for that man feel the same?" Arthur then asked.

"I believe so, otherwise they wouldn't agree to work with my Master." Richard replied before pausing for a moment as he realized something. "Ah, but with that said, I cannot speak for Berserker since I do not know what he's thinking since he's insane."

"I see..."

The white knight nodded at this, feeling himself twitch at the mention of Berserker. He had his suspicions, but he still needed to confirm his thoughts with Jeanne later. Shaking his head, he refocused on the matter at hand.

"So then, shall we continue? I can tell, you've been wasting your mana with those attacks. By now, it should be obvious that this duel you began is now in my favor."

"Indeed, perhaps I was so overjoyed by the idea of facing you that I forgot to pace myself." The Crusader King replied, panting slightly to himself. He really should've know better, to allow such a simple mistake to happen to him. Like his old friend Robin had always said, he was a hearty fool.

"Will you yield?" Arthur asked.

"Heh, I-"

...!

Reacting quickly, Arthur struck down a bow aimed at his head. Several more were shot, forcing the white knight back as he retreated to a farther distance.

"Hmph! I suspected as much!"

Landing right beside her ally bow at the ready was Atalanta, the Chaste Huntress staring intensely at both Saber and Ruler, as well as her two allies who both looked on in surprise as they hadn't expected to see her here.

"Archer, what do you think you're-"

"Silence, I've been tasked with aiding you two fools." Atalanta replied before scoffing. "Honestly, I expected something like this from the idiot, but I didn't think a Knight such as yourself would be so reckless."

"Haha...!"

Richard merely laughed in response. As much as he wanted to reprimand her for interfering, thanks to his wasteful spending of energy, he knew that the duel he was having with his predecessor was leaning heavily into the latter's favor. If not for the Chaste Huntresses' appearance, he would've probably be dead by now.

"About time someone got here."

Robin stated as he leaped over to his two comrades.

"Let me guess, my Masters is pissed off with me isn't she?"

"Given her nature, I highly suspect that she wants to castrate you." The golden-haired archer replied, smiling somewhat at the last bit.

"Christ, someone just hang me already." The orange-haired rogue sighed heavily.

"Perhaps you could do that later. Right now, we have other matters to deal with."

Atalanta stated as she continued to aim her bow at the other duo staring right at them. With their numbers, even with Saber having exhausted some of his reserves, they should still be able to take on both Ruler and the King of Knights together.

All they needed was-

...!

The trio quickly got out of the way once they looked up to see a blast of concentrated mana aimed directly at their location. Said blast made impact, causing an explosion that formed a small crater where they had stood.

'That attack just now, could it be...?'

"It's been too long... Atalanta."

Floating right above the clearing was Caster of Black, the Servant of Magic removing her hood as she gazed intently upon the Chaste Huntress.

Her old acquaintance from the time of the Argo Expedition, one of the few she remembered getting along with to an extent. She knew since that first night when Saber and Ruler appeared in Trifas, they would meet like this. And from the way her old comrade was gazing at her, she knew that she also felt the same.

"Medea..."

The former Princess of Colchis looked older than when she last saw her, her robes of choice being opposite of the light-colored dress she styled herself in. Her expression somewhat colder, gone was the innocence of the princess she had befriended back then. Considering what she heard about her life, it wasn't surprising.

"Hehe, as always, your clothes compliment your beauty well."

"Thank you, and you've grown since we last saw each other."

"Indeed..."

Medea suddenly whispered to herself, memories of her past life filling her mind. She then shook her head before speaking up once more.

"Have you heard about Heracles?" The former asked.

"I have."

"If he was here, then perhaps we could have a reunion." The Witch of Betrayal smiled somewhat before frowning slightly. "Though I would prefer it if he wasn't, as I cannot stand overly muscular men such as himself."

"Have you come here to fight?" The Chaste Huntress asked, noting that with her presence, a possible three-on-three match would happen between them.

"Only if you continue to raise your bow at my allies." Medea replied. "Though I doubt the three of you wound want to linger here for much longer considering that Rider of Red and Saber of Black are heading here as we speak. By now, they should be nearing soon."

"Damn it..."

The golden-haired archer frowned, realizing that they were outmatched. She then gazed at her two companions, placing her two hands onto their backs.

"We're leaving!"

"Wait, what-!?"

With that, the Chaste Huntress vanished into a beam of light, soon followed by the rogue archer. And before he did, the Crusader King simply smiled and nodded at this predecessor, signifying his desire to continue their battle at a later date, one that Arthur returned in kind.

Once he disappeared, Medea noted that the phenomena they had just witnessed was teleportation. She didn't even see nor sense a spell being formed. The blue-haired woman wondered who could be behind such a feat. Perhaps it was the one they called Assassin of Red, who was apparently behind the flying fortress that assaulted the castle the other night.

Turning her attention towards Jeanne, the Servant of Magic spoke.

"Do you wish for us to pursue them Ruler?"

"That's quite alright, I'll allow them this chance."

The young saint replied. Though in truth she did want to go after them, from the moment they vanished, she could no longer sense where the trio were. Most likely, outside of her range. Knowing that, there wasn't really any point in trying to find them at this rate, especially with Arthur's condition.

"My apologies, I should've finished the battle then and there." Arthur began.

"No, it's fine." Jeanne shook her head. "Right now, we should be more worried about that injury on your arm."

This was the first time the white knight had been injured like this. From the look of things, it was going to take a few days to heal for him to heal on his own completely.

"Allow me to take a look at it later." Medea suggested. "It should be a simple task for one such as me."

"Thank you, we would be most grateful Caster." Jeanne replied with a smile.

"Think nothing of it, for we will need Saber's full strength in the coming days."

The blue-haired woman said, though she was somewhat taken aback by the gesture. Ruler really was rather beautiful. She wondered to herself how the young saint would look in a dress. Aah, that's no good. Her habits were starting to appear at the forefront of her mind.

"Now then, shall we take our leave?"

* * *

"..."

Inside a dark cavern which she currently made out to be her home, a certain blonde-haired girl sat by herself with a crystal ball in her hands.

Having observed the battle herself, Manaka was currently pouting as she allowed the image of Saber to vanish. Really now, it was just getting good. Why did that lion woman have to interfere? Saber was going to beat that other Saber who looked like him!

"Is everything alright Master?"

Appearing by her side was a rather beautiful young woman with amber eyes and long flowing pink hair. She wore a lose fitting blue kimono that showed off her rather generous cleavage, golden headdress that had bells hanging off it, and a blue ribbon tied at the back of head. What was most strange about her was the fact that she had two fox like ears and three large tails sticking out from behind her.

Manaka stared at her, at Caster, whose identity was Tamamo-no-Mae. A well known figure in Japanese mythology, if one knew about the topic and its related matters, then Caster's identity would have been all too obvious.

But there was more to it as well. From the moment she first laid eyes on Caster, Manaka was able to tell that she was no ordinary Servant, nor a proper Heroic Spirit for that matter. She was eventually able to discover why that was, and to say that she was surprised was an understatement.

Knowing what she knew, it was easy to assume that Caster the most powerful Servant there was right now. If not for the fact she held control over her, Manaka couldn't help but wonder what kind of opponent she would be if she ever allowed to reach her full potential.

"Come now child, do not frown like that." Tamamo spoke as she sat on beside her Master. "It's quite obvious that Saber would have won that bout."

"I know that, I just didn't like how that lion woman interfered."

Manaka replied as she stood up and casually allowed her head rest on former's lap at the pink-haired woman's prompt.

"Well then, shall we go punish her then?"

The pink-haired woman suggested with a smile as she took out something from her sleeve and suddenly began cleaning out the former's ear. It was quite obvious to the young blonde what she was referring to.

"No, that's fine. After what I said to Shirou-kun earlier, trying to pick a fight with him so soon would be a little too mean." She smiled to herself a little. "I'll let him off for now and let Jeanne-chan and Saber have their go at him. Saber is mad that Shirou-kun tried to kill Jeanne-chan, so he'll want to settle it himself too."

"Speaking of which," Tamamo smiled slyly. "Are you jealous that Saber's new Master now~?"

"W-What does that have to do with anything...?" The young blonde pouted in annoyance.

"Well from what I've heard from Lancer, she's quite attractive." The former stated. "And as a man, it's only natural for Saber to be attracted to her with beauty alone. If her personality's nice, then he's a goner."

"That doesn't mean anything, Saber's different. He only has eyes for me, and me only!" Manaka replied, in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, yes." Tamamo nodded in response. "Now turn your head so that I can clean your other ear."

"Is this really necessary...?"

"Of course it is. Children should take proper care of their own hygiene after all~" The pink-haired woman smiled. "And Master is no exception to this, so allow me to care for you since you won't do it yourself."

"Oh alright..." Manaka relented, knowing that Caster would probably force the matter.

"We should also get your a new set of clothes." Tamamo stated as she pulled on the fabric of Manaka's dress. "This dress simply won't do. Don't you want to impress Saber? Then you'll have to get yourself something nicer~"

For a few moments, Manaka remained silent, Caster's words echoing throughout her mind.

Her eyes then snapped open, her mouth opening to speak.

"Can we get something cute?"

* * *

"You're lucky that you haven't been killed yet."

Sometime later back at the gardens, Julian was in the process of reprimanding Saber, the knight of which merely stood still with both hands behind his back. Others that were present were Shirou, Semiramis, Angelica, and Shakespeare.

"My humblest apologies, I know that I was mistaken."

"If you knew, then why did you pursue the King of Knights?"

"Did you already forget? It was to challenge him." The Crusader King simply stated in response. "After all, I am a Servant. Is it not natural for one such as myself to challenge another to a battle? Is that not the purpose of beings such as myself?"

"There's a time and place for everything, and that wasn't one of them!"

"Now calm down Julian," Shirou intervened with a placating gesture. "And it isn't as though we didn't get something good from all of this."

"And that would be?" Julian demanded.

"Proof that we obtained ourselves a strong Servant." The white-haired hero replied. "You've seen it yourself, Assassin showed us. Saber here has proven his mettle and worth by taking on the King of Knights. While that battle eventually turned to his favor, Saber was able to keep up with him regardless."

"Yet in the end he nearly lost." The black-haired youth pointed out.

"That was my first time fighting the Great King." Richard spoke up. "Along with my own enthusiasm, I'll admit that I was more focused on having a joyful bout than I was concentrating on defeating him. Next time, that will not be the case. This I swear to you on my honor as a Knight and King."

"Hmph, empty words. Let your actions speak for you instead."

With that, Julian left the area as he headed back towards his room. Sighing at the young teen, Shirou merely shook his head at him.

"My apologies about him. I only allowed him this chance so that he may vent his anger at you." The latter stated as he gazed at Richard. "At any rate, I am impressed that you were able to stand against the King of Knights. I couldn't really match even when he lost his Master."

"Indeed it was~!" Shakespeare exclaimed, finally getting the chance to speak with red-eyed blonde. "O King Richard, that was a most splendid battle! For your convenience, I was able to record everything what happened thanks to the Queen of Assyria. If you may, might I ask for more personal details."

"I don't see why not." The red-eyed blonde replied before gazing at his Master. "At any rate, what was that earlier? Where me, Archer, and Robin all vanished so suddenly."

"Do you mean the teleportation?" Semiramis spoke up as all gazed at her. "That was my handiwork. Though I'm quite powerful within the boundaries of my gardens, my abilities still have their limits. As such, I decided to craft an item that can extend my range and allow you lot to teleport here to anywhere that my eyes can see. I gave a sample to Archer earlier, and it seems to be quite the success."

"Ah, as one might expect from such a beautiful and talented woman." Richard said, gazing at Shirou for a moment as he suddenly began grinning. "If not for the fact that your heart belonged to another, I would take this chance to court such a fair lady."

"Hoh? Such an insinuation. Might I cut off your tongue then in recompense?" The raven-haired beauty said as her eyes sharpened, a smirk growing on her face.

"Ahaha! I think I'll pass on that."

While the two spoke to each other, Angelic approached Shirou with the intent to speak.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes. What shall we do about the alliance?" The twin-tailed beauty asked. "Thanks to Saber, Archer, and Assassin, we now know of their location. We can strike anytime you desire it. All you would need is to give us the word."

"Indeed, that is the case isn't it?" Shirou began as he crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, unlike in Trifas, we cannot use this fortress to strike considering how close to the urban and rural areas the estate is."

"We could always use hypnosis to move the populace away if need be." Angelica suggested.

Truthfully, it didn't matter to her if there were civilian casualties, seeing the masses merely as collateral damage for the sake of their goal, a sentiment shared by her Lord Julian and Beatrice. However, it wasn't shared by their leader, as well as most of the Servants under their control. As such, they would need to work around it instead of just going on an all-out assault.

"Perhaps, but let allow me to think on the matter for now." The white-haired hero replied. "Since we are outside of Ruler's ten kilometer detection radius, she and the alliance cannot track our location. That gives us the advantage and time."

"You want us to remain on standby for now is it?" Angelica asked.

"For now, yes." Shirou confirmed for the young woman. "When the opportunity shows itself, we will strike Angelica. Be sure of that. For now, though we take it easy. Rider's still in recover after the last battle, and I don't even need to tell you about Saber's condition. He'll need time to recover the mana he lost today."

"Very well." The former nodded in understanding. The young man smiled at this, satisfied that she was being compliant.

It was then that he noted that there was something off, and he realized what that was as he spoke up.

"Speaking of which, where are Archer and Beatrice?"

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO YOU LITTLE BASTARD!?"

A loud cry caused those in the room to flinch, all could tell who it belonged to.

As they looked towards the hallway where it came from, Robin appeared out of nowhere with one finger against his mouth in a shushing manner.

"Don't go telling her where I am, alright~?"

With that, the orange-haired rogue disappeared once more, nevermore grateful to his Noble Phantasm, No Face May King.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are... DON'T MAKE ME USE A COMMAND SPELL TO FIND YOU!"

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And with that, CH19 is finished. Was the fight good enough? I can never tell. Probably not XP Anyway, onto the chapter itself.

Richard's character is based on what I've heard about him as Fate/Strange Fake hasn't been completely translated yet. So if he's different compared to the original, then sorry about that to his fans since I wanted to write him as a sort of rival character to Arthur thanks to his similar yet different abilities and personality. While writing his and Arthur's fight, I was operating somewhat on Rule of Cool while trying to maintain a sense of balance with canon. Speaking of which, Richard's second NP is limited to a basic spider sense in the fight because he wanted to fight fairly against Arthur as much as possible. Don't worry, I'll show a more proper use of it later using what info has been released about it.

As for Tamamo, her appearance is based off on her Third Ascension Form in FGO. And her personality is based off from the time she served as Twice's Servant, along with me imagining what would she be like if she were somewhat more motherly. Because honestly speaking, Manaka is a child in both body and mentality. It would be a really weird relationship overall if it were more... intimate. Enough on this topic, moving on XP

Thanks to recent translations, I found out that I actually managed to get Arthur and Manaka close to their canon selves in what their desires are, with only a few details missing actually. Does that make me psychic? :D Anyway, Fate Magnus Bellum just got itself a Tv Tropes page! XD Thank you **_ForteOfTheBallad98_** and all those who supported me! Now all I need are people willing to fill it out. I've decided to add some parts to it on my own as a start, but I rather have others add some as well.

* * *

 _ **As for those who have questions:**_

 _ **Code Zero:** _ First of all, rule of funny XP Second of all, Gilgamesh is prideful by nature. Even if he foresaw his own death with that NP, he would laugh it off as an impossibility and still go through with the events, resulting in his death XP The thing with Achilles was also just that. If it were Child-Gilgamesh, then he would be more pragmatic and use the information to his advantage.

 _ **Orphee:**_ That depends on the reader as I wasn't exactly specifying which beast he was referring to.

 ** _Cain:_** Considering the nature of their profession, then I would say yes to both. And it's Gilgamesh, asking me whether or not he'll say that is kinda redundant actually XP

 _ **No need be weak:**_ It's Iskander, try imagining it XP And Arthur doesn't really tell them because the Reality Marble is the one true threat as far as he's concerned. Arthur by himself is able to take on the Sphinx and kill it, while the Mesektet is something best described by actually seeing it.

 _ **Black 13:**_ It's Rin and Luvia, asking me that is also redundant XP And the strongest without a doubt is Gilgamesh by virtue of combination between his fighting skills and abilities. Pure fighting wise, it's Karna. Pure ability wise, I actually lean on Ramesses rather than Gil, mostly because of how OP each of NPs are.

 _ **ilover145:**_ I forgot to answer your question on CH16 a while back. Embarrassing on my part XP Anyway, Mordred's choice regarding her wish will be dealt with. I just haven't had time to show it properly thanks to me wanting to introduce Richard into the story. That and given that's she's actually a decent person underneath her angry exterior along with what her true desires are, I think it should be obvious what she's going to do.

* * *

That's it for now. Again, please review :D


	20. Act II-20: The Calm Before The Storm

_**AN:**_ And here's CH20. Mostly non-action so as to take a break from events of the last one. Please review :D _ **  
**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 20:**_

 _ **The Calm Before The Storm**_

* * *

"My apologies for this, Caster."

"Think nothing of it."

Inside the room that he and Jeanne shared, Arthur was having his wounds tended by Medea. As for the young saint herself, she was having a meeting with Waver and Fiore downstairs. Though he wanted to attend, she had insisted that he get himself healed first.

As the light from her hands died out, the Servant of Magic pursed her lips as she stepped back from the blonde-haired knight.

"I'm afraid that's all I can do for now." She began, crossing her arms. "Even with my abilities, your wounds aren't light enough that they would heal rapidly. It would take a day or so for you to completely recover."

"I thought as much."

Arthur sighed, though he did find that he was lucky that his arm wasn't blown off. Otherwise he might have been crippled for the foreseeable future.

 _'That man...'_

Richard the Lionheart... it was a name that he would not forget anytime soon. And if he had to be honest with himself, his duel with his fellow British King was one of the most enjoyable ones he had experienced yet. He found it a shame that such a person was working for their enemy.

"Tell me something Saber..." Medea began.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"No, never mind. It's nothing." She shook her head and turned around. "I'll be taking my leave now."

With that, the blue-haired woman left the room. Arthur could only ponder to himself as to what exactly Caster was going to ask him about. Shaking his head, he could always ask her later. For now, he needed to deal with another matter first.

"Well then, are you going to enter the room?"

The young man called out, hearing a brief startled cry as a result.

No sooner than when he did, Mordred appeared from around the corner and stepped into the room with her arms crossed. As always, she had a frown on her face was glaring at him. By now though, Arthur had gotten used to it already.

As for Mordred herself, she could only remain quiet as she allowed her eyes to trail onto his right arm.

When she had first seen her father arrive earlier, the blonde couldn't help but be surprised by what she had seen. Her father, the great King of Knights, had been injured in combat. Though not completely lethal enough to strike him down, it was a grievous injury indeed.

"Heh, how pathetic." The Red Knight said while smirking slightly. "To think that the proud King of Knights would allow himself to suffer from such a wound. Such a mistake must embarrassing for you isn't it?"

"True, though I'm confident that I'm still able to hold my own against you."

Mordred asked, filled with anger and annoyance at how casually her father had brushed her off just now. Although she hated to admit it, a part of her knew for a fact that even in his current state her father really could defeat her if he wanted to. The Battle of Camlann told her as such, and the last battle that night reminded her of it as well.

"Did you come here for a reason?" The young man asked, noting the strange look the former had on her face.

"That person you fought..." Mordred began as she sat down on a chair. "Who was it?"

"A King by the name of Richard who hails from Britain as we do." Arthur replied much to the former's surprise. "Be careful around him. He's not someone to be taken lightly. His Noble Phantasm is, though different, an Excalibur not unlike mine."

"What...!?"

She mouthed in shock. For reasons unknown even to Mordred herself, the blonde began clenching her hands into fists. Was it because she was angered at how it was she who wanted to deal such a blow to him first, or was it how it was another _King_ that managed to injure her father so? Certainly, it implied that this Richard person was a warrior of equal strength to her father if he was able to perform such an act.

In comparison. During the Battle of Camlann, not once did she ever land a serious injury on him. In fact, Mordred was only able to wound her father thanks to a curse that activated itself after she had been stabbed by his lance. It was a dirty tactic to say the least.

 _'Damn it all...! Just how far must I go in order to reach father's skill...!?'_

...!

"Huh?"

Quickly reacting, Mordred raised her hand as she caught a wooden object being thrown at her. Looking closely at it, she found that it was in the shape of a sword. An eastern blade to be precise, of the country they were in if she was correct.

Looking up at the source, she saw her father wielding an identical one himself.

"What's this all about?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Nothing. I was wondering if you were up for a quick spar." Arthur said, pointing the window behind him and into the spacious yard outside.

"Huh?" She muttered in confusion at the suddenness of what her father was saying. "Aren't you supposed to be resting? Your wounds maybe closed, but they haven't completely healed yet aren't they?"

"True, but I am curious if you can prove me wrong with what I said earlier."

That was enough for Mordred to stop and consider her father's request. This was a good opportunity wasn't it? Even a light spar could do wonders for honing her skills. And who better an opponent for her than her father himself?

But, something about it all just rubbed her the wrong way...

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"Huh? Didn't I say-"

"Not that!"

Mordred suddenly exclaimed as another frown grew on her face, her hands once more clenched into fists. That, along with the look in her eyes, was enough to cause Arthur to go silent as he calmly gazed at her as she continued.

"Why are you asking _me_ to do this? You could easily ask someone like Lancer. As much as I hate to admit it, he's stronger than I am. He'll be a much worthier opponent, and I'm sure he would be thrilled to spar against you of all people."

"Perhaps he is, but I'd rather spar with someone I know well."

...!

Just now... what did her father say? That he knew her well...?

"What nonsense...!" She muttered under her breath, her hands curling into fists once again as she felt her blood boil at her father's words.

"Hmm?" Arthur looked in confusion.

"As if you would know anything about me!" Mordred exclaimed as her face was contorted in rage. "After everything that happened back then, you would dare say such a thing to me...?! Just how arrogant are you?!"

"No, that wasn't my-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

With that, the blonde left the room in an angry huff, stomping down the hallway as though to prove a point.

Afterwards, Arthur could only sigh to himself as he sat on the bed and scratched the back of his head. Thinking back on her words, he was then able to determine where he went wrong just now.

 _'I really do need to watch what I say in the future...'_

Indeed, there was truth to Mordred's words just now. He actually didn't know her all that well as a person. Even in the end, all he knew was the Knight that served and later betrayed him in the end claiming herself to be his successor. He didn't really know the person that made up the Knight herself.

Standing up, he decided to spend the rest of the time doing simple exercises with wooden sword in the room. It would be a waste not to after all. With that said, a new question poised itself in the young man's mind as he began practicing.

 _'Now how will I apologize for that...?'_

* * *

"Damn it...!"

Mordred found herself cursing as she walked towards her room.

Why? WHY...?! Why was it that she felt so angry right now?! Why did her father's words upset her so much?! She had always known it to be true, but for some reason, something inside her just snapped.

"Hah!"

...!

The young blonde then punched the wall next to her, leaning against it as she looked down on the floor.

"Had a fight with the old man did you?"

Coming across his Servant, Kairi Shishigou appeared with both hands in his pockets. An unreadable expression on his face as he gazed at the blonde-haired girl.

"It's nothing. I'm just relieving stress is all...!" Mordred stated, quickly fixing herself up before realizing that something was off. "Wait, I thought you were going to attend the meeting with Ruler and Rider's Master?"

"Yeah well I noticed that you went over to your old man's room, and so I was worried."

"Worried?"

"About the fact that the two of you might end up bringing the house down." Kairi smirked as the former frowned in annoyance. "With your temper, I was afraid that you might start fight with him. Glad to see you didn't, it would've been a pain to cover the cost of this place."

"I'm not that stupid!"

Mordred huffed as she crossed her arms. Honestly, did her Master believe her to be so inconsiderate like that? The owner of the house was giving them free lodging, she wasn't about to destroy it just because she had problems with her father. That and it was far better than just sleeping inside some cavern that her Master was so fond of doing before they met up with the rest of the Red Faction.

"At any rate, did you just come here to mock me?"

"No, I came to get you." The mercenary replied as the blonde looked on in surprise. "Get yourself ready, you and I are going out on patrol for the night."

"Patrol? Wouldn't Caster's familiar's be enough for such a task?"

"Yeah well I still don't completely trust anyone from the Black Faction just yet. Call it paranoia, but it help keeps me awake when I want to. That, and there's a place I want to visit."

"Where are we going?"

"It's... personal." Kairi said with a pause, and Mordred could clearly see that something was troubling her Master. "Anyway, you'll know soon enough. Come on."

With that, the duo left the hallway.

* * *

"According to my informants, here's the list of locations where that girl Manaka could possibly be settled at."

Pulling out a parchment from his coat, the long-haired man unfolded it, revealing it to be a map of the Greater Tokyo Area. On it were several circular marks in red, each on specific spots on the map.

"Are you sure this is all accurate?" Fiore asked.

"Can't say for sure. This is info that was only dug up in the past two days after all." Waver replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "We've managed to pinpoint several locations she might be based at. Most of these are places where the local leylines are rather powerful, making it an excellent spot to settle down in order to power the grail."

 _'Sister...'_

Ayaka though quietly to herself. Even now, she couldn't believe that Manaka was alive after all this time. And to think she was still intent on continuing what she did all those years ago. Just the thought of it was enough to send shivers down her spine.

"This spot here..." Jeanne spoke up, placing a finger on the map.

"Ah, that's right. That's near where you and Saber encountered that new Rogue Servant didn't you?" Waver began as he took out a marker and crossed it out. "With that, the only places left to check are about twelve more."

"Twelve... and they're all rather spread out as well." Fiore muttered before gazing at the former. "Not to mention that man Shirou Kotomine and his people are still out there. We can't just go out searching. Not with them still out there."

"Right, but the question would be where to look for those people." The long-haired man crossed his arms as he gazed at Jeanne. "Any thoughts about this Ruler?"

"I'm afraid I have nothing to add." The young saint replied as he began frowning to herself. "While I can still feel the presence of both Caster and Assassin of Red, I cannot determine where they both are exactly unless they're within a ten kilometer radius of me."

Waver sighed at this as he massaged his temple. The fact that they couldn't tell where Kotomine and his group were was the most troublesome aspect of the war. In the case of Sajyou Manaka, they could at least determine where she might be hiding out. On the other hand, Kotomine had a floating fortress instead. Knowing that, they were probably hiding out somewhere in the sky, and the only Servants they had that were capable of flight were Archer, Rider, Caster of Black, Rider of Black, and Berserker of Black.

At that, a thought came to mind...

 _'Hmm, we could always...'_

So long as they could determine where the fortress was located at, they could always use the plane the used to arrive here. As it were, it was still at the private hangar at the airport. That said, it was something that was lent to him by that girl and her family out of a favor they owed him. If something were to happen to it...

 _'Argh, I'll suppose I'll worry about that later.'_

If something did happen to the plane, Waver supposed he could make it up by offering the daughter a sponsorship at the Clock Tower. That would be something that should satisfy them at the very least. Otherwise, he may have to stark looking up some odd jobs for the next few years in order to recompense them.

While he was thinking that, the young new head of the Yggdmillennia family spoke up.

"Excuse me Ruler, but what can you tell us about that new Servant that you and Saber encountered?" Fiore began, a curious look in her eyes. "I heard from Caster that he was a Saber-Class Servant, and that he managed to injure Saber in his duel with him."

"Ah, I haven't really talked about that have I?" Jeanne said, taking a moment to herself before continuing. "To begin with, what Caster said is true. The new Servant that appeared is a Saber-Class Servant, and his identity is Richard the Lionheart."

"The King of England from the Third Crusade?"

Waver questioned in surprise, as there probably wasn't a person from England that didn't know about Richard the Lionheart, one of the more famous historical figures from the middle ages. To think that he would be summoned as a Saber-Class Servant... the thought just surprised him that much really.

"Hoho? So there's now a sixth King out there?"

Entering the room wearing his casual clothes was Iskander, the red-haired Servant having a large grin on his face as he overheard the conversation.

"Rider? I though you and Archer were having another one of your contests?" Waver asked.

"Goldie said he was busy with something else, so I decided to take a walk around the corner to get some fresh air." The former revealed as he sat down on a chair. "Now then, what's this I hear about there being another King, and this guy is the one who injured the King of Knights earlier?"

"He is." Jeanne confirmed as the red-haired man turned to look at her.

"Did he now? Now he seems like the kind of person I'd want to meet!" The King of Conquerors laughed. "Now then, just how did he injure Saber in the first place?"

"With his Noble Phantasm, Excalibur."

"Wait, Excalibur...!?" Both leaders of the two factions said in shock.

"What? But isn't that the name of the sword that Saber uses?" The red-haired man asked in confusion.

"Yes, but at the same time Richard had an Excalibur of his own." The young saint nodded in reply, truthfully still taken off by the fact herself as well. "To be more precise, his Noble Phantasm is to turn anything he touches into one. This apparently because in life he pretended to have owned Excalibur himself."

"Now that I think about it, you're right."

Waver nodded, remembering that there was a tale going around about how King Richard once gave the King of Spain "Excalibur" as a gift of some sort.

"Speaking of which, how fares the King of Knights?"

Iskander had seen the extent of the former's injuries earlier. Though it wasn't that couldn't be healed, it was an injury nonetheless. The person who Saber fought, this King Richard. He must've been someone of great skill in order to inflict a wound like that on the King of Knights, who himself was strong enough to match a demigod for a time as witnessed by the red-haired man the first night in Trifas.

"Given everything that's happened today, I think it's only right that Arthur rests so that he may recover his strength." Jeanne revealed with a sigh. "Even with Caster's healing prowess, it can only do so much."

"I see." The former nodded in understanding.

"With that said, we should probably adjourn this meeting." Waver spoke up as everyone turned to look at him. "For now, you we should all rest up. Tomorrow we're going to go spread out into groups to investigate some these sites we've marked, with one group staying behind here in the estate to keep watch."

"I can agree to that." The wheel-chair bound brunette stated. She had been wanting to try out the potion that Archer of Red had given her the other day. Tonight was as good a time as any. If it really was what the Golden King said it to be...

"I'm fine with it as well." The young saint replied as she nodded in agreement.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day. Knowing that, it was best to get some early rest tonight so that Laeticia's body doesn't give out on her.

* * *

"I was wondering when you would all finish."

As Jeanne came across the room she and Arthur shared, she found the latter leaning on the doorway with a smile on his face as he greeted her.

"Did anything happen at the meeting?"

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow." Jeanne decided as the two of them entered the room. "And didn't I tell you to get some rest earlier?"

"Huh? Aren't I doing that right now?"

With that said, the young saint went over to the bed owned by Arthur and pulled the sheets, revealing two wooden swords hidden underneath. At this, she then proceeded to frown further at the young man, who in turn could only smile somewhat in embarrassment.

"Well it's not like I'm not doing anything strenuous am I?" He pointed out. "As a Servant, my capabilities won't be hampered by simple exercises."

"I suppose..."

The young saint nodded reluctantly, knowing that he had a point though she still disapproved of his actions. Really now, men were the same whoever they were. Even Gilles and the soldiers who followed the two of them into battle often tried to do such things despite being hampered with injuries.

It was then that another thought came to mind...

"Wait, where did you even get this?"

"I had Ayaka lend it to me earlier." Arthur revealed as he picked up the wooden blade in his hand. "Apparently, she had once taken up learning kendo when she was still a young woman. She practices every now and then, just to stay in shape and practice."

"I see..."

Jeanne nodded in understanding as she sat on her bed. She also wondered to herself why there were two swords instead of just one. Was Arthur practicing dual wielding? Or was he practicing with someone else earlier? If so, then who was it?

Perhaps she could ask later. For now, she had other matters to discuss.

"How are your injuries?"

"Healed, but still somewhat sore." Arthur replied with a smile. "That man, Richard. I would like to fight him again someday if possible."

As an individual from the same lands, Richard was a different sort of rare opponent for Arthur to face. The fact that his Noble Phantasm was somewhat similar in nature to his own on top of being a skilled fighter doubled it. One day in their eventual rematch, he would also like to return the favor by showing him his own Excalibur as requested by the Crusader King. It was only fair after all.

"Well I suppose I can understand that." Jeanne said in response.

While she was more of a pacifist at heart, she could understand the desire that her friend was feeling. Still, the idea of facing him together with the other Rogue Servants didn't really fare well with the young saint. A truly troublesome lot they were with the people they've gathered.

 _"Tell me something, do the other Servants who work for that man feel the same?"_

 _"I believe so, otherwise they wouldn't agree to work with my Master."_

Richard's words that day... so they were all willingly working together with that man Shirou? From what she had seen of the former, he was a rather honorable man given that he preferred to fight with Arthur in a one-on-one duel. And he said himself that he intended to guide his Master on the right course should he ever try and stray from it. If that was the case, if someone like that followed Shirou willingly, then...

 _'No, I cannot let myself falter.'_

No matter his intentions, the fact remained that he tried to have her assassinated. Knowing that, it alone should serve as enough motivation for the young saint to try and stop him. And personal stakes aside, the Holy Grail wasn't exactly the artifact everyone thought it to be. If anything, it was her duty as a servant of the Lord to try and stop the madness surrounding the grail once and for all.

Still...

"Arthur, what do you make of all this...?"

"Of all what?"

"Knowing the true nature of the grail wars... do you think we can stop all of the madness connected to it?" She asked, a serious look in her eyes. "And I don't just mean this grail war, I'm talking about all the others will probably still take place even after this one is settled."

"Who knows?" Arthur honestly replied with a shrug. "Considering that we're just Servants, we're bound to disappear someday. Knowing that, we can only hope for the best and rely on other to do the job for us then."

"That's true, but I still feel like we should try to do something as well." The young saint said as she began frowning. "It wouldn't feel right to leave things as they are, knowing that each grail out there could possibly bring about a disaster..."

She quickly froze up when she felt a hand being placed upon her shoulder, looking to see Arthur having been the one to do so.

"How about for now we just worry about the one we're taking part in?" He suggested with a grin. "We can work it out with the others later. For now, let's keep out attention on the situation we're in."

"You do have a point." Jeanne smiled crookedly with a sigh.

"Saber-san, Ruler-san."

A knock on the door quickly caught the attention of the two, the voice of Aya being on the other side of the door.

"Dinner is ready, you two are going to eat aren't you?"

"We'll be right down." Arthur replied, sensing that the young blonde on the other side heard him and proceeded to head downstairs.

"Well then, shall we head on down?"

"I'll be in a minute."

Jeanne replied with a smile. And as soon as Arthur closed the door on his way out, the young saint sighed to herself as she allowed her back to fall upon the bed, her body relaxing at the softness of the mattress beneath her.

 _'Really now... what am I thinking?'_

Freezing up like that earlier... all because Arthur had laid a hand on her shoulder. She could feel her cheeks heating up rather suddenly at the thought. Realizing this, she could only frown in embarrassment as she slapped both of her cheeks lightly.

Just what was wrong with her? Getting so worked up over something so simple. It was Laeticia's influence no doubt. Having taken up arms herself during the Hundred Years war, she had spent most of her time with men. There were even times in which she had gotten herself into some rather embarrassing situations, which was mostly thanks to her being the only woman in the army at the time...

Wait, why was she even remembering that...? Jeanne quickly shook her head. At any rate, she shouldn't allow things like this to get to her so easily. Yet despite knowing that, it seems that thanks to her host having developed an attraction to Arthur, some of her reactions were beginning to change as well.

"Alright,"

The young saint then quickly stood up, her hands curled into fists as a determined expression grew on her face.

"Next time, I won't allow myself to fall to Laeticia's reactions so easily. I'm stronger than this!"

With a strengthened resolve, Jeanne walked out of the room and headed downstairs.

* * *

"Tell me miss Angelica. Why is it that Berserker is chained up like this?"

Standing together inside a room were Richard and Angelica. Kneeling in the middle of it with his entire body wrapped around in chains was Berserker, the Black Knight being in a rather docile state that was quite contrary to his class. The former couldn't tell if it was because he was sleeping or just remaining quiet on his own volition.

"Why do you feel the need to ask?"

"Call me curious."

Richard replied as he took a step closer. He had heard from Assassin that Berserker was in this room. Having not known him long, he had planned on having a meeting with him or his Master. When he arrived, the Crusader King hadn't expected to see him bound up like this.

"Did Berserker-" He began.

"RAAAAAAAAGH!"

"...!"

The sudden roaring of the Black Knight was enough to cause the Crusader King to back off as he readied his weapon. Seeing that the chains were restraining him well enough, the blonde-haired knight relaxed himself as he sighed in relief.

Though he was off put by the fact that Berserker was now, as far as he could tell with the latter's helmet on, glaring at him. Going over to the right, the Black Knight allowed his head to run. Going over to the left, the same process repeated itself.

"Stop that, you only serve to anger him more."

Angelica called out as she extended a hand. A pulsing light flashed briefly from it, and soon enough, Berserker calmed down and went back to being docile. Seeing this, the blonde-haired knight walked over to the blonde haired woman.

"Might I ask what I did to offend?" He asked.

"It's most likely a result of your resemblance to Ruler's Servant." She replied.

"Really?" Richard spoke up in wonder, his eyes having a certain glint in them as he smiled. "Now that's a rather high form of flattery for one such as myself. Pray tell, what business does our mad friend here have with the King of Knights?"

"Does the name Lancelot answer your question?"

"Ah, well now it all becomes clear."

That was enough to silence Richard as he gazed at the Servant of Madness with a new found wonder. Knowing his identity, perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised by the Black Knight's reaction to him just now. Given how Angelica had said it herself, he resembled the esteemed High King of Britain. For he who sincerely admired the legendary king, there was no greater honor.

Wait, off topic...

Shaking his head, the Crusader King wondered what Berserker's desire was. Was his wish to take vengeance upon the King of Knights? Given his nature as a Berserker, perhaps it was likely. Then again, it could've been something else entirely as well.

 _'Such wonders this world of ours offers.'_ He thought simply to himself.

"Saber, I would like for you to avoid coming to this room from now on." Angelica began.

Ever since that one night where Caster had goaded Berserker into attacking Ruler's Servant, once the Black Knight had returned to the gardens, Kotomine immediately had him restrained in order to prevent future incidents. Luckily, they were prepared for such a thing thanks to the research that the Ainsworth put into the class cards. The chains were a special fail safe made for the Berserker-Class in particular in order to restrain them.

That said, seeing Saber just now was enough for Berserker to act up. If not for her presence, there was a chance of him breaking out from just the sight of seeing the former standing in front of him. Lancelot's rage against his former king was quite astounding to say the least.

"I understand, I'm no fool." The blonde-haired knight nodded in agreement. "Although, might you be so kind as to allow me to ask a fair maiden such as yourself to dinner~?"

"I refuse."

"Tis a shame~" Richard shrugged before smiling. "Ah well, I might as well go find Caster. I think he would make for enjoyable company. Oh, I should go find Robin as well. We three men of the same lands should share drinks tonight!"

"Did someone say drinks?"

A voice called out as Robin Hood quickly appeared right beside his fellow Englishman with a smirk.

"Considering that my next assignment is gonna leave me busy tomorrow, count me in." The orange-haired rogue said. "Might as well hang loose for now anyway, and I've been wondering to myself what kind of wine the Lady Queen keeps in this fortress of hers."

"Haha! Now that's the spirit my friend! Let us find Caster then." Richard replied as he tossed an arm around his comrade's neck.

"Let's do it quietly shall we? I don't want my Master to hear me."

With that, the two left. Leaving Angelica by herself as she stared incredulously at the two, mostly at Saber.

That person was once a King? He was rather frivolous to say the least.

"Well, I suppose he's competent at least."

She spoke to herself. The blonde-haired knight did maintain a regal air about him whenever he spoke seriously to her or the others. And having proved his mettle against the King of Knights, she found him to be reliable enough as a Servant. All they needed to worry about now was their enemies.

While she began thinking about said topic, Angelica also went back to keeping an eye on her Servant.

* * *

"Hmm~"

Humming a tune to herself, Manaka gazed at the item in her hand with great interest. Said item being the miniaturized greater grail she had taken the other day. A glowing light was being emitted from the palm of her hand as she examined the grail.

"Have you found what you were looking for?"

Materializing, Tamamo sat beside her young Master.

"Not yet, there's something about this grail that's strange." Manaka replied as continued her examination. "For some reason, I can't sense anything from it at all. It's like, there's something that's preventing me from doing it. It's really weird..."

Due to her abilities, Manaka had never really experienced any sort of hardship in life. Anything she decided to put her mind to, she could do it with ease. So when she began examining the grail, she was stunned to say the least. Whatever it was that was doing this, it had to be old magic done by someone of great power. Otherwise, she couldn't find it in herself to believe it was either Darnic or one of his Servants who had done so.

"Then should I take a look myself Master?" Tamamo offered, and for a moment, Manaka considered it as the former was a Caster-Class Servant of the highest degree after all. If anything, she should be able to give her a few answers.

Placing it upon the pinkette's palm, the latter closed her eyes and began speaking. A glowing light then soon followed, being emitted from Tamamo's hand as she herself began examining the grail.

"Hmm... now this _is_ quite strange." The fox-eared woman stated as her eyes opened in surprise. "Aside from some of its basic functions, someone has managed to place a seal upon the grail that prevents direct interference on its core."

"In other words, it can't be returned to its original settings..." Manaka finished as the pinkette nodded.

"Yes, and whoever did it, they must've done it without the knowledge of that man Darnic. I don't even think that Caster of Black noticed it. It's hidden so well that one wouldn't notice it unless they looked deeply. It must've been done by someone of great skill, far greater than what the humans of this time period could managed."

"I knew it."

Just who was it that was responsible for it? How did they know about the true nature of the grail? As far as she knew, the true existence of the grail was kept a heavy secret by the founding families in order for them to proceed with the ritual unhindered by the Magus Association.

If so, then who was it? And how did they managed to place such a powerful seal that even she couldn't break through it?

"Say Caster, can you find out who this person was?"

"Perhaps, but enough of that for now." Tamamo said much to Manaka's surprise as the pink-haired woman suddenly began smiling at her. "Remember our talk earlier? I'd say that it's about time we go out into the city and buy you your new clothes."

"Eh? Can't we do it some other time?" The young blonde asked, wanting to talk more about the previous topic.

"We could, but not if you don't want to impress Saber." The fox-eared woman stated with a sly smile. "While could continue on and try to find out who's responsible for the seal, which could take a long time, Saber might get stolen by another girl in the meantime. You don't want that do you~?"

At this, Manaka pouted in annoyance. Caster really did know how to push her buttons! Really, just what kind of person did she take Saber for? He wasn't a philanderer! He would always belong to her, end of story!

Still, the idea of getting new clothes was something she had been pondering about for a while now. As much as she liked her current one and could fix it with her abilities, it was over half-a-century old. And no proper lady would wear something so old an ancient.

"Okay then, let's go." She relented.

"Yes! Leave it to me Master, I shall make it so that Saber becomes a lolicon at seeing you in your new clothes~!"

Hearing that, Manaka didn't really know if she should have been offended from being referred to as a "loli" of all things. That, and she wondered what exactly Caster had in mind for her to say something like that. Perhaps she was imagining it, but she felt a drop of sweat run down her cheeks as a result of her words.

* * *

Sometime later that night, Arthur was feeling rather restless. As such, he left the room he shared with his Master and decided to take a walk for the time being.

 _'I still can't believe it's been sixty years since then...'_

Much like how he noted it with the living room earlier, nothing had really changed at the Sajyou Estate aside from a few additions that is. It was still quite surreal for him to accept it however thanks to his memories of the past war. For him, the last time he had been here was only a week or so ago.

Coming across a drawer in the hallway, Arthur blinked in surprise as he saw numerous pictures placed upon it. He quickly noted that most of them were of Ayaka when she was a young up until the present. Some of the pictures included was her as a child smiling together with a young woman with headband. For some reason, there was something about her that felt familiar to him, but he couldn't tell what it was.

Then again, perhaps he was merely imagining things. As a result the young man ignored such thoughts for now and continued looking at the rest.

Other pictures included were Ayaka holding a newborn infant he assumed was her own child, beside it was her and another person he assumed must've been her husband together with their two children. While thinking that, he wondered to himself who between the two boys would eventually become Aya's father. He had a feeling it was the one with glasses though.

Speaking of which, another set of pictures included a now elderly Ayaka being surrounded by three children, one of whom was Aya herself. He noted that the other two must've been her two cousins that she and her grandmother had been talking about. One looked to be energetic while the other somewhat passive.

 _'It looks as though Ayaka has lived a good life...'_

Arthur thought to himself, taking note of the smiling face she had in each image. Doing so caused him to smile as well, and it only grew as he examined each new picture. To say that he was relieved for her sake would've been an understatement. Ever since that fateful night, he had feared what kind of life Ayaka would've lived as an orphan. As far as he knew at the time, she had no known relatives to reach out to either. As a result, he was quite glad that someone had the heart to take her in as one of their own.

Continuing to scan the pictures, he felt his eyes stop at one particular picture.

Said picture contained an image of a young Ayaka and Manaka together, smiling like the children that they were.

As he picked it up in his hand, Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of the elder Sajyou sister. He began wondering to himself once more as to when did it all go wrong. Had Manaka always been like that? Or was he merely deluding himself in thinking that she was ever a good person to begin with?

Shaking his head, he placed the picture back onto the draw, knowing that he shouldn't think about such things now. With that, he continued on his way and then headed downstairs in order to get something to drink. With what he was thinking right now, water should help soothe his nerves.

As soon as he entered the dining room though, he was greeted by the sight of the Iskander sitting by himself at the table with a jug and a couple drinking glasses placed in front of him. A large grin grew on his face once he laid eyes upon the blonde.

"Evening King of Knights, I was hoping that you'd come down." He greeted before gesturing to the seat in front of him. "Come, sit and drink with me."

"Evening to you as well Rider." Arthur replied as he did so, before realizing something. "Wait, you weren't waiting for me to come down here this entire time did you?"

"Ahahaha! No, no, I was just taking some time to myself. You being here makes it interesting is all." The King of Conquerors replied as he grinned once more. "Speaking of which, just call me by my real name. Having two Riders around is going to get confusing at some point."

"Haha, indeed it is." The blonde chuckled slightly in agreement. "So then, did you need me for something?"

Before Arthur could get his answer, the red-haired King responded by pouring him a glass. Smirking slightly, the former nodded and took a sip.

He felt his eyes go wide in surprise at the taste.

"Wait, this is..."

"How is it? Feeling a kick in your breast?" Iskander grinned as he held up the jug. "I got this stuff from Archer. He was actually generous enough to give it to me."

"Should I ask why...?" Arthur asked, placing a hand upon his chest as he breathed slowly.

Whatever it was that was he just drank, it by far had the strongest taste when compared to any drink he had in the past. Enough that he actually found himself feeling a little dizzy from just a sip... just what was in it?

Not bothering to answer the question, Iskander remained quiet as he continued to observe his fellow king with a rather curious look in his eyes. After a few moments though, he began blinking in surprise as he crossed his arms.

"Well now, that's curious." He whistled in amazement.

"Was something supposed to happen?"

"Ahahaha! I was half-expecting you to pass out from just a sip." He revealed with an apologetic grin as Arthur gave him an incredulous look. "It happened to myself and Achilles one time, and to that other Lancer yesterday now that I think about it."

"Of all the..." Arthur didn't even know where to begin.

"Now, now, I was only playing a light jest." Iskander began as he offered the blonde another glass, only for the latter to raise a hand in refusal. "Don't worry, I can vouch that the second time isn't as strong as the first. And you've got stronger loins than most if you could withstand the first time."

"Perhaps..."

Arthur shrugged as he decided to accept, wondering what kind of drink Gilgamesh possessed that it could get Servants to pass out from just taking a sip. Though he had a feeling something else was in play for him to have stayed awake. Said something having to do with the fact that he wasn't exactly a normal to begin with. He supposed he had his father Uther and Merlin to thank for that.

"At any rate, I've been meaning to have a personal talk with you Saber." The King of Conquerors began but was stopped by a raised hand.

"Call me Arthur." Arthur said as he smiled at his fellow King. "You asked me to call you by your true name didn't you? It's only fair that you do the same then."

"Haha, indeed!"

Iskander grinned once more in response as took a sip from his own cup before settling it down. "So then, I believe we should continue off where last left off the other night. I'm find myself wondering if you're still thinking about fulfilling that desire of yours to save your people."

At this, Arthur noted that the usually jovial tone that the King of Conquerors had for the most part had disappeared and was replaced with a stern one.

"Does it bother you?"

"It does actually." The former replied as he leaned back on his chair. "Now tell me Arthur Pendragon, why do you desire such a foolish thing?"

"I wouldn't exactly call granting salvation to those I failed a foolish desire." Arthur replied with a frown.

"It's precisely because you think you failed them that I call it a foolish desire." Iskander began as he took another sip from his glass before continuing. "King of Knights, I'm going to tell it to you straight. Should you go through with that wish of yours, I guarantee that you will be spitting upon the sacrifice of all those who stood beside you as ruled your kingdom."

"I'm aware of that now, as I've come to realize as of late."

"Did you now?"

Arthur merely nodded in response as he replied. "It's true that by trying to achieve my wish, I'm trying to erase the results of my own past and those worked together with my to achieve it. Thinking about it now, I believe I've always known as such."

"Then clearly you should see the folly in your desires." The King of Conquerors stated.

"I do, but just like what I said before, I suppose I can't help but just desire it regardless." Arthur smiled crookedly as he continued. "To desire for a world where my people no longer have to suffer and to see all of them again without the burdens of the past to plague us. I couldn't want anything more."

At this, Iskander sighed as he scratched the back of his head, understanding the King of Knight's desire for such a thing. That said, the idea of rewriting the past just felt so wrong for him who had always lived by moving forward.

"So then, you'll continue to desire such a thing and have the grail grant it in the future?"

"No."

"No?" The red-haired king blinked in surprise at this as the blonde nodded in response. "What brought this about?"

 _-So please, live for the future instead of the past.-_

"Let's just say someone dear to me opened my eyes with a slap."

Arthur chuckled slightly to himself, remembering his meeting with Guinevere from the day before.

"Oh? Was it Ruler?"

The King of Conquerors asked with an amused grin on his face.

"Hmm? No, it wasn't."

Arthur shook his head, though he could see Jeanne doing it to him as well if it came down to it. The mere thought of which brought another smile to his face.

"Allow me to be clear Iskander, I shall always desire for a world where my people can thrive forever, that much is clear to me now. I suppose it's just part of who I am." He stated, turning his full attention towards the red-haired king. "But, I shall no longer pursue it. Or at least, not in the way I was going about it before. I was mistaken, I can see that now. As you said, doing so would be an insult those who fought along my side."

"Oh? Tell me then, how would you pursue this dream then?"

"By striving towards the future." The young man simply replied, his smile widening. "Though the kingdom that I once knew no longer exists, the world that it once thrived in still does. If I couldn't bring a utopia to my people, then I will help to do so to those of this era however I can even with my limited time. That much, I shall swear on my honor as a knight and king."

"Hahaha! Very good, now that's more like it!"

Iskander grinned in satisfaction as he stood up and went over to his fellow king before giving him a slap on the back, causing Arthur to flinch at the excessive force that the former had put into it, nearly causing him to hit the table.

"Indeed, one should live for the future instead of the past. There's simply no going around it either." The King of Conquerors stated, nodding in approval as he continued. "King of Knights, you've stepped up from being a naive lad to a truly matured adult. Well done. I, Iskandar, approve!"

"Considering that you're my senior, I'll take that as a compliment." Arthur chuckled at the older man's words. "Shall we have a toast to celebrate my supposed true step into adulthood perhaps?"

"Indeed we shall, here here!"

The former replied, taking his glass and raising it towards the blonde.

"To you King Arthur, and to striving towards the future!"

"Indeed!"

With that, both clinked their glasses together and drank up.

Arthur also noted that what Iskander said about the drinks was true. The second time really was weaker than the first.

While the two kings drank, Mordred silently observed the duo as they did so, having just returned with her Master that night from their destination. She contemplated her father's words, trying to make sense of them for herself.

"Striving for the future..."

* * *

"Now then, does everyone agree to the plan?"

The next morning, the members of the Allied Faction all stood within the living room of the Sajyou Estate, Waver explaining to the rest their plans for the day. Which itself was one thing: determining the location of Sajyou Manaka's base of operations.

"Remember what Saber said about the Servants under Sajyou Manaka's control. If you run into any of them, be careful and don't underestimate them." Waver added as everyone nodded in reply. "If need be, then run away if you all feel overwhelmed."

The former, together with Iskander, Gray, Achilles, Aya and Cu Chulainn were to check out a few locations in the northern Tokyo area. Kairi, Mordred, Fiore, Siegfried, Caules and Elizabeth were to go and investigate the western area. As for Jeanne and the others, they were to remain at the estate in order to protect it from unsavory elements. He only hope things would go smoothly today, only some reconnaissance duty is all. What could go wrong?

"Heh, so we're staying here are we~?" Astolfo commented with a smile.

"Is something the matter Rider?" Sieg asked, coming up beside his the former.

"No, no, it's nothing Sieg. In fact, I got myself an idea. Come along now~!"

"Hmm...?"

The young paladin stated as he suddenly began pulling on the young homunculus' arm and dragged him outside as the others looked on. As to what the pink-haired youth was going to do with his Master, no one really had an idea.

"Should I keep an eye on them?" Arthur suggested.

"Please do. And should they decide to explore, make sure Rider or Sieg don't stray far from the estate."

Jeanne replied, causing the former to smile and nod in response. With that, he walked out the room and followed after both.

Personally, he was quite curious to learn more for himself about the homunculi that now served as Rider of Black's Master. After all, the more he knew of his comrades, the easier it would be work with them right? There was also something he wanted to ask of Rider of Black as well. And now he had his chance to do both.

That, and along with the fact that he was still feeling the aftereffects from his drinking with Iskander last night. Feeling slightly dizzy, he should try to getting some fresh air and a bit of water later too.

Soon after Arthur left, the young saint then turned her attention towards Waver and began questioning him about her own role for the day.

"Is it really alright for me to just stay here?" She asked, having wanted to go along with the others to inspect the areas.

"Well you are the mediator, so that makes you the highest priority target that Kotomine and Sajyou Manaka will go after." Waver explained. "It would be better if you decided to stay here for now, better to be at a location where you can make a proper stand after all."

"I understand, but still..." She frowned.

Waver could only smile slightly at this as he turned to Caster and continued.

"That and Caster has an idea she's been wanting to talk to you about."

"Really?" Jeanne said as she turned to the hooded woman.

"Yes." Medea nodded in reply. "It's about your ability to sense the presence of other Servants..."

While the two began talking, Waver then turned his attention towards the young blonde that was joining him and Gray that day.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.

"I am." Aya nodded with a resolute smile. "I know my way around this city after all. So it would best if I came along right?"

"Now that's the spirit young lady! It's good that you're going to accompany us!"

Iskander said with a grin as he patted the young blonde on the back. Though more like slapped as the force of said pat was enough that nearly caused Aya to nearly stumble if not for the fact Lancer caught her in time.

"Glad to be working with you..." Gray stated quietly.

"You know, you and I really should have that spar later." Achilles said as he stood beside his fellow Lancer-Class Servant. "I've seen you fight, and I heard once that you were able to injure that white-haired bastard from the Rogue Faction. Now that makes me curious."

"Sure, why not?" The blue-haired spearsman smirked in agreement. "For now, let's just make sure our little mistresses over here don't get into any trouble."

As for the Kairi's group...

"Huh... I didn't you'd be joining us today kid." Kairi said as he looked at the glasses-wearing boy.

"Yeah well I don't trust you with my sister yet." Caules simply stated as he crossed his arms. "That and you might get in trouble with the police considering what you look like after all. I mean, a crippled girl being accompanied by an older thug... it would look a little suspicious wouldn't it?"

"It's the face isn't it?" A frown grew on the necromancer's face as he sighed in annoyance. He knew better than anyone else that his face wasn't exactly the friendliest visage a person could have. Maybe he should at least get some work done to hide the scars. Maybe that would make him look less threatening.

It was then that Kairi noticed that something was off. Someone was missing from the meeting, and that person was none other than Fiore herself.

"Speaking of which, where's your sister? She slept in or something?"

"I think she's still in-" Caules began but was cutoff by someone else.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting."

Saying that, Fiore Forvedge arrived with Siegfried standing behind the young brunette...

"Wait, what...!?"

...As she walked into the room smiling.

At this, everyone in the room, sans immediately stopped what they were doing as they all gazed at the young head of the Yggdmillennia. There jaws hanging open at the sight, most especially Caules. Though he had already known about the cure given to her by Archer, he didn't expect Fiore to use it so soon.

"Sis, you're standing..."

"Hehe, thank you for pointing out the obvious Caules." The brunette giggled at her younger brother.

"Heh, I see that you decided to take the medicine then girl."

Materializing, Gilgamesh stood before the young brunette. Fiore nodded in reply to his statement, thanking the Golden King before turning her gaze towards Waver.

"Lord El-Melloi, I'm ready to head out with Mr. Shishigou. Saber has already told me everything about the plan."

"Is that right? Are you sure you're not going to bring along your wheelchair just in case?"

"It's alright, I'm-Ah!"

The young teen suddenly found her legs weakening, causing her to collapse. But before she could hit the floor, she was caught by her Servant.

"Please be careful." Siegfried spoke.

"I will, thank you Saber." Fiore replied with a grateful smile. "It looks as though walking is still going to be a difficulty for me in the future."

"I see, so the medicine was only able to heal your legs, not give you the ability to properly use them yet." Gilgamesh commented.

"Well considering that she was a paraplegic since birth, it's not surprising." Caules commented as he stood by his sister. "She'll probably just need sometime to get used to walking with her own two legs from now on. Speaking of which, how are you even walking to begin with? I mean, even if you're legs were healed..."

"It's simple really, I'm using magecraft."

"It's that easy?"

"In a way, I suppose that it's similar to controlling my Mystic Code." Fiore replied. "While not as complicated, it's a simple process once I get down the basics."

"Alright, if you say so."

"I would be disappointed if you couldn't handle this much." The Golden King stated, crossing his arms as he looked Fiore directly in the eye. "Do not squander this gift girl, I expect that you will no longer be a liability should those mechanical legs of yours lose their function."

"Of course." Fiore replied with a firm look in her eyes. "I will not hold anyone back as I am right now Archer, that much I can promise."

"Well said."

The red-eyed blonde smirked in satisfaction. And with that, he turned away and sat on the couch. The others could only watch on in amazement at the fact that Archer of all people was the one who gave Fiore the ability to use her legs again. It was quite surprising to say the least.

* * *

A little while later, as the Masters of the two groups prepared to leave the estate...

"Why is it that I have to work with you two...?"

Mordred stood together with Saber and Berserker of Black inside the living room, wanting to voice her discontent being drafted together with them to the two. The reasons of which were because she still had a score to settle with the former, the duel they had with one another still fresh in her mind. It being a sour point for her pride.

And as for Berserker, the blonde didn't really mind working with her so long as she didn't refer to her by _that title_ anymore.

"Nice working with you princess~!"

"You want me to hit you bitch!?"

Mordred exclaimed as anger quickly overtook her reasoning and allowed Clarent to materialize.

"Wah!"

...!

"...!?"

The Red Knight quickly widened her eyes as she saw Siegfried quickly going to the defense of his ally, blocking her swing with one of his gauntlets. A calm look was on his face as he stared down his fellow Saber-Class, as though he was unfazed by her sudden action.

"I won't let you." He simple stated.

"Stay out of this!" The former exclaimed before smirking. "Or perhaps we should continue where we left off the other night?"

"Now that's enough, please control yourself Mordred!"

A voice called out, turning the trio's attention towards the source, who was none other than Jeanne herself as she frowned at the trio while walking towards them.

"Do plan you plan on going berserk over the simplest things? It's obvious to me that Berserker had no ill intents in calling you by that title."

"Y-Yeah! I was only kidding around. Be a little more relaxed you stab-happy woman!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Honestly, if Saber hadn't blocked the attack just now, she would have been seriously hurt! For a girl, Saber of Red really was a violent person.

"Hmph! Whether or not she did, she should have known better!"

Mordred stated as she allowed Clarent to vanish, deciding for herself that it really wasn't worth it and felt that she really may have overreacted a tad bit just now.

"She does have a point," Jeanne said as she then turned her gaze towards the pinkette. "Berserker, I ask that you refrain from teasing Mordred in the future. You should know by now what will happen if you do."

"Duly noted."

Elizabeth nodded in response, all the while pulling an eyelid down and sticking her tongue out Mordred herself much to her growing annoyance. However, something else was on the blonde's mind that it made her ignore the former as she scowled and glared at the young saint instead.

"Hey Ruler, when were we so friendly with each other that you could so casually refer to me by name?"

"Ah!" Jeanne blinked in surprise, not expecting the question. "Well I suppose it's because-"

"I don't care about your reasoning. Either way, just because we're allies doesn't mean you can, so stop it."

"I understand, my apologies then."

Jeanne replied, causing the other blonde to huff and simply turn her head in the opposite direction.

Though in truth, Mordred didn't actually mind. Rather, something about Ruler just rubbed her the wrong way. It didn't help that she also referred to her father by name, and from what she had seen was rather friendly with him as well. Which served to further fuel her irritation towards the young saint to her own confusion. That, and there was one other reason...

"Serving someone like you... just what is he thinking?" She muttered to herself, but loud enough to be heard by Jeanne.

"Excuse me?"

"Why my father decided to serve you is beyond me." Mordred decided to clarify as she spoke up and stared at her fellow blonde. "From what I see, you're nothing more than a coward who prefers needless talking to taking up the sword, allowing others to fight your battles for you. If not for the fact that you had those Command Spells, I doubt you'd be able to get as far as you have in this war."

"When choosing between having talks or senseless violence, then I would pick the former instead." Jeanne replied without missing a beat. "And regardless of whether or not I have my privilege as a Ruler, I'm more than willing to step into the fray of battle if that's what it takes to help end this war. You should know that already yourself."

"Hmph! From what I've seen, you're not that much of a threat." Mordred stated in response as she crossed her arms. "How could you expect win a battle with your skills when faced with our enemies in this war?"

"Indeed, our enemies in this war aren't ones that we could afford to take lightly." The young saint nodded as she replied. "As such, I hope to rely on others when I fight, as this is a battle that we cannot win as individuals but as a united force."

"Only a coward relies on others. You call yourself a hero?"

"I could say the same about you, who allows herself to lose control over the simplest of things."

"What was that!?"

Knowing whom she was talking about, Mordred was about ready to cleave the other blonde in half if not for the fact that doing so would only reinforce her words. As such, she controlled herself as Ruler continued to speak.

"It's as I said." Jeanne simply stated. "And with everything that I've seen of you, I find myself doubting that you could become a greater king than Arthur."

"Shut up!" The red knight exclaimed in anger. "What would you know!?"

"I don't. However, you think too highly of yourself, you underestimate the strength of others, and you allow yourself to be angered at the simplest of things. All of these traits could easily become a person's undoing. Before you even think about surpassing your father, I would suggest that you surpass your own flaws first."

"You bitch...!"

Mordred clenched her fists tightly, her teeth gnashing at each other as she spoke with a growl. Ruler's words just now had were more or less what her father had told her during their flight. Having been reminded of that, along with her dislike of Ruler to begin with, she was ready to call out her sword...

"That's enough."

A familiar voice called out as a hand placed itself upon the blonde's shoulder, causing her to snap back as she shook it off and turned to face the its owner.

"Father...!"

Arthur stood with behind his daughter with a neutral look on his face, sighing to himself as he had overheard the conversation. The latter basically yelling aloud everything she had said just now helped to do so a great deal.

Seeing him, Mordred clicked her tongue in frustration. Turning around in the opposite direction, the Knight of Treachery stomped away as she left.

At this, Jeanne could only sigh in relief before she turned to face Arthur.

"I thought you were keeping an eye on Astolfo and Sieg?"

"They're inside the greenhouse at the moment, and Caster's with them as well."

"I see." The blonde nodded in understanding, before fidgeting slightly as she continued. "My apologies, I didn't mean for it to escalate like that."

"So I've noticed." Arthur said as he stared at the young saint. "I didn't expect you to say such things either."

"Indeed, I was doing my best to ensure that she remained calm, but I suppose couldn't contain myself." Jeanne replied with an embarrassed smile on her face while scratching her cheek. "With how she acted just now, I suppose I just wanted to tell her those things directly."

"Well I don't blame you. Dealing with Mordred has never been easy for me either." He replied.

"Hey Saber," Elizabeth called out as the former turned to look at her. "You're her father aren't you? Can't you do something about her like maybe give her a time out?"

"I don't think that would apply here Berserker..." Siegfried commented.

* * *

Later that morning...

Inside the hallways of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Shirou, Julian and Semiramis all walked together discussing current matters before one of the latter's dove familiars flew in from a window. At which, the raven-haired beauty simply smiled as it landed upon her hand.

"Hoh? Now that's interesting."

"Did something happen?" Shirou asked.

"It was as you expected. Members of the Alliance against us are now on the move throughout the city as we speak."

"So they really are going to investigate all possible evocation sites..." Julian commented.

"Indeed. Through searching these locations, they're trying to find Sajyou Manaka." The white-haired priest stated, crossing his arms as he paused for a moment in thought before turning his attention towards the Assyrian Queen. "Is there anything else of note?"

"They've split into groups." Semiramis replied. "The first is led by Waver Velvet. Accompanying him are his apprentice and that Tohsaka girl along with their Servants. They're heading to the east as we speak. The second group is led by that barbaric looking mercenary. The Forvedge siblings together with their own Servants are with him as well. Right now they're heading west."

"I'm guessing that Ruler is remaining at their base then..." Shirou pondered as he crossed his arms in thought before smiling to himself. "Interesting, this may perhaps give us an opportunity to act."

"What do you propose we do?" Julian asked, somewhat unconvinced. "It's the middle of the day, and Saber and Rider haven't completely recovered yet either."

"Leave that to me, I've already made arrangements with Lancer and our two Archer friends in the event that something like this were to happen."

"Arrangements?" The former pondered in curiosity before realization struck him. "I see, so you're going to use _that_ spell?"

"But of course, it has to be put to the test after all." Shirou simply smiled in response.

* * *

"Heh~"

Sitting alone inside the cavern where she made base, Manaka observed the ongoing events with smile on her face. Currently, the young blonde was now wearing a more modern set of clothing that was akin to her old one.

"So they're looking for me? Maybe I should pay them a visit~" She said as she held the crystal ball close.

"Now you can't do that Master."

Materializing behind Manaka and wrapping two arms around her, Tamamo spoke to the young blonde with a smile on her face.

"I won't have you going up to our enemies so casually anymore." She stated with a stern but caring tone. "I allowed it the first two times because you went ahead without me knowing. But now I won't let you have that chance~"

"Eh? But I-"

Before the blonde could say anything Tamamo squeezed her slightly.

"No means no, Mama Tamamo says so!" The pinkette said as she tuck her tongue out at Manaka. "Besides, you still haven't modeled those other outfits that we brought last night since you went to sleep. Come, I'll even help you out with it. You know your inner maiden demands that you at least try them out~"

Manaka grimaced at this. Caster had brought a great deal of outfits actually, and most of them were actually rather questionable to her. Some of them being maid outfits, school swimsuits, cat ears, and a bunch of other stuff. There was no way she'd go through with that!

"No! I don't wanna!"

"Ah, wait a minute!"

As Manaka ran off with Tamamo chasing her throughout the cave, Brynhild materialized with a smile on her face as she observed the scene.

"Master is such a child~"

The Valkyrie noted that Manaka had also dropped the crystal ball onto the ground. Deciding that it wasn't safe to just leave it lying around, she picked it up and then noticed that it continued to show images of the ongoing events outside of the cavern.

One of the those images caught her attention as her eyes widened immensely.

"Sigurd...?"

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And I'm back! Sorry for the wait folks, but I decided to take a break after the last chapter thanks business and along with the fact that I needed it to recharge the brain after pumping out several chapters within the span of two months straight at least. I actually kept count and noticed that each chapter beginning from CH13 up to CH19 I did well within a week from each other at best, each having about 10-12k worth of content.

Anyway, onto the chapter itself.

Now I feel like I'm exaggerating Mordred's anger and issues with her father, but when writing her I imagine a child who is thoroughly confused about what whether or not she should love her father or if she should hate him. Being less than ten years old wouldn't really give her enough time to develop emotionally, especially given her past. Not to mention that canonically, we never get to see her interact with her father at all aside from flashbacks. And FGO not included as Mordred from that game has already developed as a person after the events of Apocrypha.

As for the Arthur and Iskander scene, I'm hoping that it worked out alright. Honestly, it was one of the harder aspects of this chapter for me to write since I wanted to ensure that both men remained patient with one another.

Speaking of which, I hope that Jeanne herself was okay during the Mordred scene near the end as I wanted to have someone call her out on her own flaws as well that wasn't just her father (Though honestly, it was more or less a repeat of what Arthur said in CH18) I imagined Jeanne in serious mode when writing it, a mode where she doesn't allow anyone to get to her and retorts like a pro (Or at least I try to get her like that XP)

And at this point in time, Arthur's development is near complete. Which allows me to focus on Jeanne and a few of the others more in case of her and them being overshadowed. Seriously, I try to avoid that. And since no one has said anything, I think I'm doing well? Regardless, I hope you all liked the chapter.

Lastly, a shout-out to _**ForteOfTheBallad98**_ for helping me with a few scenes by having him judge them. Thanks man! :D

* * *

 _ **As for those who had questions:**_

 _ **Cain:** _ Yeah. If I'm ever able to do it, I'm thinking about writing a sequel/spin-off because why not? And that scene with the perv-duo served mostly as introduction to the chapter and as to what some of the others were doing. And I decided that if I were to include Issei, then I should place him in a scene that's going to be even more hilarious. As for Julian, read the story.

 _ **Orphee:**_ Obviously Proto-Gilgamesh would have Enkidu, it would be wrong for him not to have it. And as for Ea, I'll leave that to your imaginations. Note that FSN-Gilgamesh actually pulls out Enki, the dual swords of Proto-Gilgamesh, during Fate/Extra CCC as one of his attack animations. Take that as you will ;P And obviously I keep track of everything Fate related, for the most part anyway since I can be forgetful, and Type-MOON in general. Otherwise, I wouldn't call myself a fan.

 _ **Kotaro mishima:**_ Read the story

* * *

That's it for now. Please review :D


	21. Act II-21: Prelude to Battle I

_**AN:**_ And here's CH21 folks! Please review :D

* * *

 _ **Chapter 21:**_

 _ **Prelude to Battle I**_

* * *

"So many birds in here~!"

Together inside the greenhouse of the Sajyou Estate were Sieg and Astolfo, the latter of the duo taking his time to pet every single pigeon he could get his hands on.

"Be sure to behave you two, this is our workshop after all."

Off to the side, Medea and Roche continued working on improving their defenses of their new base. Specifically, they were working on creating a new army of golems with what resources they brought along from Trifas.

As the young paladin continued to play around with the birds that filled the area, Sieg silently watched on with a smile on his face. The young homunculus felt that this was natural thing to expect from his pink-haired friend given his personality. It was sometimes easy to forget that he was a Heroic Spirit at all given the way he acted at times. With that said though...

"Why is that they're flocking to me as well...?"

He hadn't really done anything as far as he was concerned, yet for some reason most of the pigeons inside the area began flocking towards Sieg and landing near his feet or perching themselves upon his head and shoulders. As soon as Astolfo bore witness to it, a big smile broke out on his face.

"Heh~ I guess you must be a bird person aren't you Sieg?"

"I suppose it's thanks to my nature as a Dragon-Hybrid." Sieg replied, not at all bothered by the birds that gathered around him. "Birds and Dinosaurs are related to each other after all, and Dragons could be considered Dinosaurs in a sense."

"Geez," Astolfo pouted in annoyance. "Can't you just agree with me that it's just because birds like you and just that?"

While trying to form a reply, a feather fell onto the young homunculus' nose. As soon as it did, Sieg's nose began twitching followed up by the birds around him flying away. An action that Medea took note of as she felt the heat rising in that instant.

"A-Achoo!"

...!

"Wah!"

Stepping to the side just in time, Astolfo watched as the stream of flames burst forth from his Sieg's mouth. Knowing the type of damage fire could do in an enclosed space, especially in a greenhouse of all places, Medea used her magic to contain the blast to a minimum. Luckily for her, the flames were weaker compared to what she had expected, perhaps as a result of it being just an accident.

As it died down, the young homunculus responsible for said flames blinked for a few moments before speaking.

"My apologies..."

"Ahaha, no need to apologize Sieg!" The young paladin said with chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "Still, who knew that just sneezing was enough for you release your powers!"

"Indeed, we might need to do something about that." Medea commented as she crossed her arms and went over to the two, telling her young Master to continue on without her. "Speaking of which Rider, you may wish to put out that flame before it grows anymore."

"Huh? What do you mean by-Ack!"

Freaking out as he only now noticed the embers that were burning at the tip of his braid, the young paladin as he quickly went towards a faucet and doused it. While he did this, the blue-haired woman approached the pinkette's friend and master.

Now then, I suppose its time that you should start learning on mastering that new power of yours."

"Mastering them..."

Sieg muttered as he looked down upon his hands, their form shifting into draconic ones. As he gazed at his now clawed hands, he couldn't help but wonder to himself what else he could do aside from he had already done since his awakening. He knew that he had wings, but did that mean he could fly? Was fire the only thing he could breathe, or was he able perform other types as well? So many questions filled his mind...

"Caster does have a point." Astolfo added as he placed both hands behind his head and smiled. "So what's it going to be Sieg~?"

"I agree with her, but how should we go about doing it then?"

"I suppose we should just start with the basics for now." Medea suggested. "Try stretching your wings first as they say."

"Ah, flying you mean~?" Astolfo stated with a smile on his face. "That sounds like a great idea~! I've been wanting to give Sieg a tour of the sky myself for a while now. How about we make it into a race as well? My mount against you? I wonder who would win~? Racing a dragon sounds like a lot of fun as well~!"

While the young paladin was lost in thought, Sieg turned his attention towards the Servant of Magic.

"Is that alright though? What if someone sees us?"

"You won't have to worry about that," Medea replied as she made two bracelets appear in her hand. "Put these on and you both won't have to worry about anyone spotting you, at least not anyone who isn't a Servant that is. But I doubt that our enemies would try to strike during daylight above the city."

"As expected of Caster, you've thought of everything~!" The young paladin praised, causing the blue-haired woman to smile. "Well then, shall we be off Sieg~?"

"If it's alright with Ruler, then-"

"What about me?"

A voice called out, causing the trio to turn their attention to the source. Said source being none other than Jeanne herself, who entered the greenhouse with a smile on her face as she greeted Astolfo, Sieg, and Medea. Accompanying the young saint was Arthur, who merely nodded in smiled as well.

"Ruler." Astolfo greeted in return. "I suppose that everyone has left now right?"

"Yes, everyone has taken their leave." Jeanne replied. "That leaves us the remaining ones here to protect the estate, though I pray that nothing bad happens either way. For both us, the others, and to the people of this city."

"Hehe, no need to fret~! Despite how I seem, I'm actually pretty reliable you know~? And with everyone that's gathered in our little group, we can't possibly fail~!"

"Somehow I don't doubt that." The young blonde said with a smile on her face, also amused by the young paladin's cheerful nature. "At any rate, you were talking about me earlier?"

"Ah, about that." Astolfo said as he gazed at his friend. "Sieg was wondering if it's alright with you if he and I went out for now so that he can begin mastering his powers?"

Continuing on from that, the young paladin continued explaining the rest about what happened earlier.

"I see." Jeanne nodded, somewhat amused and taken aback at the fact that Sieg nearly burnt down the greenhouse by accident. "Then if that's the case, I suppose there's no harm to be had in doing it. If Sieg truly wishes to take part in our fight, then I believe that this is the proper path for him to take."

"Is it really alright Ruler?" Said homunculus asked.

"Personally, I don't really see any problem. So long as you stay near the estate, that is. If something happens here, then I'll need you all to be ready." The blonde replied.

"Alright then~! You heard the lady Sieg, so let's get going then shall we~?"

"Wait, I-"

Before the young homunculus could get another word out, his pink-haired friend quickly pulled him out of the area, with enough strength that Sieg's feet left the ground as he was taken away. Such an act only caused Jeanne, Arthur, and Medea to simply chuckle at the expense of the white-haired homunculus.

A short while afterwards, the young saint decided to observe the area in which she was standing in. Taking into account the numerous pigeons for herself, somewhat in awe of their numbers.

"I didn't think that there would be so many..."

"Haha, I suppose I should have expected this."

Beside the young saint, Arthur could only bring himself to smile in response to the sight. There was a time sixty years ago when he came across Ayaka and her father performing blood rituals using birds and the like as part of their daily habits as magi. However, the former couldn't bring herself to do it back then. From the looks of it, she still couldn't bring herself to do it even after all this time!

At this rate, the young man mused that Ayaka might as well call the greenhouse a pigeon coop instead.

"King of Knights!"

Turning his gaze around, Arthur saw Gilgamesh materializing behind him with a wide smirk on his face. As always, the Golden King maintained a posture of arrogance and superiority as he stood in front of him and the others. Not long after making his appearance, Reines walked into the greenhouse greeting the rest of them.

"He wanted to speak with you." She also said, looking at Arthur.

"What do you want Archer?" The former asked.

"Heh, I've heard from the King of Conquerors how you were unaffected by the wine I lent him." The Golden King began. "I didn't think that there would be someone who could withstand it on the first time. A rare feat if I do say so myself, especially since I only brought it out in order to make fools out of Rider and Lancer."

"What is he talking about?" Jeanne asked as she leaned closer to her friend.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later." The latter whispered back.

With that said, a portal of light near Gilgamesh as a golden jug laid itself on the ground beside him. His smirk widening even more, he picked it up and held it in front of Arthur, two cups materializing upon his free hand.

"Now then, this delicacy I have with me has ten times the strength of what you and Rider drank." The former explained as his voice became louder. "With it, I challenge you to a drink off! Show me the iron loins that the King of Conquerors boasted you having!"

"I refuse." Arthur quickly replied.

"Hmph, I will not take no for an answer! I will have my due!"

"What due?! I owe you no debt, and I refuse to get involved with your demon drink!"

"Hah! Is that cowardice I hear?" Gilgamesh taunted.

"No, it's called common sense. Something you seem to lack." Arthur deadpanned.

"What was that?!"

The Golden King's smirk disappeared as he now glared at his fellow King. If one looked closely enough, they could see the sparks of lightning that were being emitted by the two as they silently glared at one another.

"So it begins..."

Reines sighed as she shook her head. Archer really did need to work on his temper. It was rather hypocritical of him to make fun of Saber of Red's temper when he himself was no different than her in that aspect, even if he did control himself better that is.

"Wait a minute! Don't get into a fight you two!"

Jeanne called out, getting in between both men as she played peacemaker.

Really now, did Arthur have to say it like that? She prayed to the Lord that this little spat between the two wouldn't do anything to hurt their alliance. The young saint came to believe that her role as Ruler would be put to the test in the following days.

"If you two are going to fight, then take it outside."

Medea commented, though she was rather amused by the sight of Ruler's frantic face as she calmed both Saber and Archer down. It was incredibly cute.

* * *

"If only they had these sweet toys back when I was alive...!"

While saying that, Robin Hood allowed himself to be immersed in inspecting the numerous weaponry that now surrounded him.

Currently, the rogue archer was hiding out inside a warehouse as he prepared for the coming event. Around this time, the Allied Faction should have already started with their search. If so, then if his Master was correct, then he'll eventually run into one of their groups in the area that he was in.

Making sure that each gun was loaded with ammunition, he couldn't help but admire modern weaponry. Granted some of them were a bit noisy and he preferred something silent. Regardless of that, all of them were now enhanced by Assassin's and Caster's magic, making them a threat to even the strongest of Servants. Even without his Noble Phantasm, Robin believe he could now pose a more sufficient threat to their enemies.

 _'I was wondering when I'd be able to use these. Looks like the boss finally doesn't want any mishaps at all.'_

He had vouched for using said weapons during the assault on Black Faction's Castle, but Shirou had refused on the basis that they were there only to retrieve the grail at the time, and he and the others were to serve as distractions while the theft was being attempted. Well, not like it matters since it got stolen by some strange girl apparently.

While thinking that, Robin took several empty canisters and threw them into the air. He then quickly took hold of a sub-machine gun and then fired off several rounds, quickly filling said items with numerous holes.

"Heh!"

"Enough of that Archer, do you wish to alert others to our presence?"

Materializing, Karna had his arms crossed while leaning on a metal beam.

"Oh come on, not like anyone's going to hear us. You, Assassin, and kitty made sure of that didn't you?"

"Must you call me by that ridiculous name?"

Atalanta stated as she walked into the warehouse with an annoyed frown on her face.

"If it annoys you, then yes."

The rogue smirked in response as the Chaste Huntress merely shook her head. She then turned her gaze towards her Karna, speaking to the latter.

"So then, are we ready? I've quite enough of dealing with this fool." She asked.

"That depends on Assassin." The white-haired demigod replied as he gazed above himself and continued. "Have you finished your tasks?"

Having said that, several personas said Servant materialized atop a metal beam. Crouching as they looked down upon their comrades.

"We have, one need not worry about outsiders getting caught up in the field." One of the personas replied. "And as instructed by Lady Semiramis, we've placed several of her charms around the area as well. This should help prevent outside interference."

"Good, then I suppose we should wait for them to arrive."

"You all do that, I'm going to make sure my traps are all ready and set."

Robin stated as he put on his hood and disappeared. Atalanta found it slightly disturbing that she could not sense him at all the moment he put on the hood. For such an annoying man to have such an ability...

"Oh? Did I miss anything?"

Her ears perking up, the golden-haired archer turned her attention to the source of the voice. Revealed to be none other than...

"Perseus?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be still recovering from your wounds?"

"True, but I'm at least able enough to be of use in this coming battle."

Perseus replied as he placed a hand on the arm his old mentor had wounded him, smiling somewhat as he did. A part of him couldn't believe that for all his strengths and abilities over Chiron, his old mentor still found a way to mark a grievous injury on him. If not for the fact that he had been... feeding lately, perhaps his wounds wouldn't have healed as quickly.

 _'Hehe, perhaps I have yet to surpass him after all...'_

"Be that as it may Rider, from the looks of it you still cannot wield your spear properly." Karna pointed out. "I take it that you'll be playing a supporting role then? With your mount, I believe it's the only role suitable for you at the moment."

"Indeed, your Master believed the same as well." The Gorgon-Slayer replied, materializing his Harpy and twirling it about. "Still, even like this, I believe I should still be able to take on the King of Conquerors by myself. Which would leave the three of you to focus on the Adamant Hero and the Hound of Ireland."

"A three-on-two fight. Though perhaps unfair, considering who were up against I believe it to be just." Atalanta said, crossing her arms. "What about the others then? I heard that our enemies would be splitting up into three groups today."

"They are, but your Master wants us to focus on the man Waver Velvet and his team. He believes that they should be the first ones to be dealt with as Achilles proves to be a serious threat as the only person who could harm him is either myself or Lancer."

"Fair point." The Chaste Huntress replied. "Then I suppose the only thing left for us to do is to wait for their arrival."

"Indeed, though I have doubts of that coming from you."

"And what exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?" She asked, causing the the former to merely smile as he responded.

"Well I heard that cats in general are rather fond of being unable to stay in one place for long~"

"I'm no cat!"

Atalanta exclaimed in annoyance, causing Karna to merely sigh to himself as he observed his ally begin bickering with her fellow Greek hero. Honestly, did Rider have to resort to such a thing? Then again, the fact that he had time to make lighthearted jests meant that he was truly able enough to be of use in the coming battle.

* * *

"Are you sure it was wise to send out Rider?"

Inside her Master's private room, Semiramis allowed herself to lean back on the chair she sat on as she and Shirou shared a drink with one another. It was a favorite past time for the two when they weren't doing anything in particular.

"If you're worried about his current combat ability, then fear not. I've already told him that he should retreat the moment he feels outclassed."

"It's not that I'm worried about, it's that man in general." The raven-haired beauty stated with a frown. "Something about him displeases me, and considering his... existence, I can't particularly bring myself to trust him."

"The same could be said about me, no?"

From the day he had summoned her, Shirou had told Assassin the truth of his existence. Despite Julian's and Angelica's protests, he had believe that being honest with her would be the best course of action. Lying to someone of her reputation would only serve to antagonize her.

Though even then, the idea of a Servant becoming a Master to another was ludicrous in itself and would perhaps anger her regardless. He knew it to be the case with the Chaste Huntress and Robin Hood, the former most especially as it took some time for her to get around to concept. The latter on the other hand, while having reservations of the fact, didn't really mind it in the end.

However, when he did tell Assassin, she actually took it rather well. In fact, she was highly amused by it. Shirou didn't really know what went on in Assassin's mind that would allow her to be like that, and he had no real intentions of finding out. So long as she was willing to work with him, that was enough.

"Perhaps, but you are my Master after all. Regardless of who you are, I'm honor bound to serve you." The Assyrian Queen then smirked at the white-haired youth. "So long as you keep interesting me that is. If not, then who's to say~?"

"I shall take your words to heart then." Shirou merely smiled in response as he took a sip. "At any rate, considering who their opponents are, I believe sending Rider regardless of his current status would do us well."

"What about Berserker then?" Semiramis asked. "Would he have not been useful as well?"

"I've thought about it, but I believe in holding him back for now." The young man replied. "Besides, we'll need more than just myself and Saber to watch over this fortress while you do your work. Better to be safe than sorry after all."

Semiramis nodded in understanding at this. With everyone out, it was only herself, her Master, Saber, and Caster that were left at the Gardens. Perhaps it was good thing that Berserker was left behind. On the off chance that they were found and assaulted upon, they'd be a bit lacking in the defenses even with the all the advantages they were presented with thanks to the Fortress.

Not only that, but she also noted that Lancer of Red's invulnerability made him an incredibly hard opponent to face to the non-divine, and Cu Chulainn had a Noble Phantasm capable of killing a target in one strike. One that their own Lancer, Karna, had only survived because apparently the former wasn't able to use the proper form of the technique at the time. An attack that bends causality so that the user always strikes their intended target... it was a fearsome thing to behold.

Considering how formidable Berserker was, it was likely that they would try to get rid of him first with it. Something that her Master must've taken that into consideration as well. A smart lad he was... or perhaps he was just being overly prepared. The thought of which simply brought an amused smile to her face.

Pausing for a moment to take a sip, she continued.

"What of the other team then?"

"The one led by Shishigou?" Shirou asked. "We can leave them be for now. Our biggest priority should be to deal with Achilles and the King of Conquerors now that they've been isolated from the others. They're two of the biggest obstacles we face at the moment."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to go after that mercenary and his group instead? Lancer by himself would be enough to defeat them if he tried."

"Indeed, but I have a hunch that if we did go after them instead, we would find ourselves in an even bigger mess." He grimaced at the thought.

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Let's just say that it involves a woman and her obsession with an old flame. Getting in between that would be rather rude don't you agree?"

Shirou replied, causing a rare look of confusion to appear on the raven-haired beauty's face. A sight which caused the former to smile in amusement as his thoughts began to wander regarding the topic just now.

If his suspicions were correct, then the daughter of Odin would have already discovered the existence of Saber of Black by now. As such, taking into account her behavior, she would most likely try to go after him at some point. Having seen for himself the type of madness she could unleash while in a frenzy, Shirou preferred to not get involved in matters related to the female Lancer if he could help it.

Regardless, he could not help but feel an ounce of pity for the Dragon-Slayer...

"Hoho~! Now this is quite the fine delicacy if I do say so myself~"

Sighing to himself, Shirou smiled in amusement at the third person that had appeared in the room.

"Enjoying yourself Saber?"

Shirou asked, as he saw the red-eyed blonde sitting opposite of him and Assassin on the sofa, taking the time to savor the taste of the wine he was drinking. With a wave of his hand, he signaled his acknowledgement of his Master's words.

"How rude, coming into this room without even knocking. Are those truly mannerisms befitting a King?" Semiramis mocked.

"Ahaha, my apologies. I see that you're annoyed having your quality time with your Master interrupted." The former replied, smiling as he saw the perturbed look form itself on the raven-haired beauty's face for a moment before she began glaring at him. "Such a piercing gaze~"

"Enough of this, did you just come here to insult me?" The Assyrian Queen demanded, not wanting to entertain the former's jests anymore. Honestly, it was bad enough dealing with just that mad writer. Now she had to deal with this moronic fool of a king?

"Never was my intention to insult, only to make conversation." Richard smile in response. "Since I'm currently unable to aid our comrades in battle, conversing with the others that remain in this wonderful fortress of ours would make this day equally as entertaining."

"If you're disappointed about not being chosen to participate, then you only have yourself to blame." The former stated as she crossed her arms.

"That much I would admit." He chucked in response.

"What of Caster? Is he not with you?"

"No, our writer friend has decided to go out and observe the upcoming grand battle between our comrades and the alliance from a distance." He replied before pausing. "And worry not, he promised not to interfere with any of your plans."

"That fool..."

Semiramis shook her head as she placed a hand on her face. With Caster gone, only the three of them plus Berserker were the only Servants left at the fortress. Richard merely smiled at the former's annoyance before turning his gaze towards Shirou.

"So then, I was curious Master. I've heard from young Sir Julian that you yourself were once a Servant Ruler as well, and that you fought in one of the original grail wars. Tis' strange that I could not feel the presence of a Servant from you."

"Ah yes, I haven't told you about it yet, have I?" Shirou replied. "This current body of mine is an actual human, and perhaps that is the reason why you do not feel the presence of a Servant from me. And I've been meaning to ask you something..."

"And that would be?"

"Does it offend you? About having another Servant as a Master?"

"Haha, does it really matter?" Richard asked in turn with a smile. "Regardless of who or what you are, so long as I believe that you are someone of just nature, then I shall have no problems taking you on as my Master. Did I not tell you this before?"

"I see then... You have my thanks, Saber."

Shirou said, an honest smile on his face. The white-haired youth didn't really know about being someone of just nature, especially considering some of the acts he had performed in the past just to get where he was now, but clearly Saber had seen something in him that made him believe that he was worth following. If anything, it served to remind the young Japanese hero that perhaps he was on the right course after all.

"Very well then. As you have desired it, I see no harm in telling you more about myself." The former then stated, causing Richard to grin in satisfaction. "And you might as well listen in as well Assassin since you have a right to it yourself."

"Oh? Now this I want to hear."

Semiramis said with a smile. Her master had been rather secretive of his past aside from the few things he had explained before. Perhaps she should be grateful towards Saber for being able to get it out of him. Not that she would say to it to his face that is...

"Where do I begin? Ah, perhaps with the day I was summoned then."

* * *

 _~Sixty years ago~_

"I am Servant Ruler. I ask, are you my Master?"

In the center of a room filled with western decorations stood a person with brown eyes and long hair tied into a ponytail. He was wearing black Japanese clothing and a red cravat with a katana strapped onto his side. Beneath where he stood, a summoning circle had been drawn.

As he looked around, he saw that an elderly man and several women, all of whom looked remarkably alike, were all watching him with a curious gaze.

"Hmph, an eastern hero is it?"

Said the elderly man, a person of imposing height. Spoken in a tone filled with arrogance and disgust that it told the Japanese youth that the person before him wasn't exactly friendly, and the latter's appearance in general amplified that notion. He wore white robes that matched his hair and contrasted his blood-red eyes. From what he could tell from his accent, he believed the elderly man to have originated from some region in Europe.

"I take it that you're the one who summoned me then?"

"Must you ask such pointless drivel? You should be able to sense who I am with your abilities."

"Straight to business I see."

The former nodded in understanding. Honestly, he had already known that the person before him was his Master. It just so happened that he believed in formalities as a due process, but clearly his Master didn't. A though which caused him to merely shake his head.

 _'Such arrogance...'_

"Indeed. I am Jubstacheit von Einzbern. Now then, tell me your name Servant."

"Hmm?" The youth blinked in surprise before he realized something. "Wait, don't tell me-"

The head of the Einzbern nodded. "Indeed, you heard correct. In my attempt to summon you, I did not use a catalyst. Instead, I allowed the grail to pick a Servant for me. It did not matter who it was so long as they could fulfill the role of Ruler."

 _'And had the one been summoned was incredibly weak?'_

The latter silently thought to himself, shaking his head at the foolishness of the idea. Still, perhaps he should be grateful that they did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been standing where he was...

...and be unable to fulfill his desires.

"Very well then, since you've asked, my name is Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. As per your summons, I have come to you as Servant Ruler."

"Hmm, the young leader of the Shimabara Rebellion..." The man spoke with a bit of interest. "Since you've been summoned in your homeland, then you've undoubtedly gained a boost in your abilities. That should work in our favor for the coming battles."

"Now I see, it all becomes clear now." Shirou said as he crossed his arms. "Intend to bend the rules of the Holy Grail War do you?"

"It was our family who started these wars to begin with. I see no problem in bending the war to our wishes." Jubstacheit replied, a tone of annoyance could be felt in his voice as he did so. "At any rate, you catch on quick. I had believed I would need to explain a few things to you."

"Well aside from the fact that I was summoned by a Master instead of the grail, the other Servant standing next to you explains a lot to me actually."

At this, said Servant materialized in front of Shirou, his arms crossed an an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Hoh? So this is Servant Ruler? I was expecting someone a bit more... impressive."

It was a man with black hair swept back and tanned skin, eyes as golden as the jewelry and armor that he wore. From the moment he laid eyes on him, Shirou could immediately tell the man's identity as per his abilities as a Ruler-Class Servant.

"My, my, it's a pleasure to meet one such as yourself." Shirou greeted.

The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II... otherwise known as Ozymandias to some. He was perhaps most well known for his association with the Prophet Moses.

"Heh, so you've already figured out my name then?" Ramesses replied, his smirk never fading. "I suppose that means you truly are Ruler. Our Master is a coward who believes that having you around with bolster our strength. Ridiculous I say. For as the Pharaoh blessed by the light of Ra, none could ever hope to match me."

"Somehow I don't doubt that." The Japanese youth stated. "But one could never be too careful in ensuring victory in war. Is that not true?"

"I suppose so." The former nodded in agreement. "At any rate, I expect that you will not get in my way once the fighting begins. As Ruler, your role is to mediate this war first before anything else, and that means being neutral despite what our Master intends."

"Rider, you-!"

 **"Did I give you leave to speak?"**

Jubstacheit frowned at this, freezing up as he felt the pressure of Rider's glare bearing down upon him.

 **"Don't think for a second that I had forgotten what you people did! To have the gall to even desecrate her tomb... you're all quite lucky that I haven't decided to burn you all to ashes for such an insult!"**

Rider spoke, his power flaring up as the room began to rumble. Fortunately however, it died down the Egyptian Pharaoh slowly calmed himself. All the while glaring at his Master and those who stood around him. Without a word, he turned around and left the room.

At this, Jubstacheit cursed the former for his insolence. He knew he should've gotten that catalyst from Britain instead! Unfortunately, another family had beaten his own before they could reach it. Ones that went by the name Sajyou, and apparently their participant had already used the catalyst for herself. He would need to pay them back for that later. If not for them, then perhaps he wouldn't have to put up with the nonsense from Rider.

"Well now, he was pleasant."

"Bare with him for now. At least until we've dealt with the other Servants."

"Onto other matters I suppose." Shirou said as he turned to look at his Master. "Now then, I believe that by having two Servants, the role of using the grail falls onto either myself or Rider. If this were a normal war, I would say that only one of us gets to use it for our wish."

"Rider admits to having no particular desire." Jubstacheit replied before he crossed his arms in thought. "If need be, I would work it out for him. Strange though, Ruler-Class Servants shouldn't have a wish they would want granted. The greater grail would've prevented your summoning otherwise."

"I believe it to be the result of your tampering with it in order to summon a Ruler in the first place." The Japanese youth stated.

"Perhaps. At any rate, I suppose that should you be able to fulfill your role, then I see no reason to help grant you your wish whatever that maybe."

He was of course lying. The grail could only be used for a singular purpose, one which decided by the Master who won it. No Servant would be able to have their wishes granted unless the Master themselves chose to help them grant it, and he wasn't one of them.

"If that's the case, then thank you. And regardless of that, I at least intend see through my duty as Ruler." Shirou replied as he extended his hand. "Can I count on your support in this endeavor then, Jubstacheit von Einzbern?"

"That would depend on your wish. What is it that you seek?"

At this, Shirou simply smiled.

"What I want is what everybody wants. And that my Master is none other than Salvation."

* * *

"Hmm... so you were once in collusion with this Ramesses you've mentioned before." Semiramis said, taking a sip from her wine.

"Indeed, and I shall be ending this topic for now." Shirou replied much to the surprise of the other two. "We'll continue it another time, for talking about the past has brought rather unpleasant memories to say the least."

"I see..." Richard nodded, deciding not to push the issue anymore. With that said, he did have one more question and decided to ask anyway.

"So then, both you and Rider fought alongside each other in battle?" He said, taking a sip from his own glass of wine as well.

"There were times, yes. And it was mostly thanks to the circumstance back then that allowed me such freedom in the first place." The former said, a smirk on his face as he continued. "That said, that alliance eventually ended once my friend the Pharaoh decided to try and burn down Tokyo."

Shirou stated, causing the red-eyed blonde to nearly spit out the wine he was drinking and choking on it slightly.

"He nearly burned down a city...!?" Richard exclaimed, a perturbed look on his face. "I've heard of going to extremes, but for one to do something like that... Just what would drive a man to go so far?"

"Who knows? But I have a feeling it was due to Sajyou Manaka." The white-haired youth replied as a frown grew on his face.

Even now, as willing as he was to manipulate and kill others for the sake of his goals, he couldn't bring himself accept that decision even if it meant killing off their enemies in a single attack. What Rider tried to do that day was a massacre plain and simple. As both a man who believed in God and his teachings, as well as being a Ruler-Class Servant, he found that it was his duty to put a stop his former ally.

With that said, a crooked smile then replaced his frown as he placed both hands together. After thinking about it, there was one thing that was apparent to him now.

"In hindsight, perhaps if we had allowed him to do so, then there's a chance that she wouldn't be troubling us today."

"Perhaps. But then again Master, didn't you already say that girl had already died once to Saber's blade?" The Assyrian Queen added.

"Yes, I watched it with my own eyes after all." Shirou replied, realizing what the former was implying. "I suppose that if she could survive that, in addition to that cave being all but destroyed thanks to the King of Knights' Noble Phantasm, then I suppose she could survive being burned to ashes as well. Perhaps believing that she couldn't at this point is just wishful thinking on my part."

"Which now begs the question, how do we deal with such a person?" Richard asked as both turned to him. "I once had the pleasure of doing battle with a vampire together with two associates of mine, and that one was quite hard to kill thanks to his ability to regenerate his wounds. I do not know if the same applies to this girl called Manaka, but if she's as powerful as you say, then she won't be an easy opponent."

"For now, I just aim to bombard her with everything we've got." The white-haired youth simply stated. "We'll need to learn more about what exactly she can do before we decide on a method to defeat her with. And with her abilities, I wouldn't be surprised if she was listening in on us right now as we speak."

"You don't actually think that do you?"

Semiramis asked, looking around the room in the process. From what she could sense, there was nothing to give evidence to her Master's claim. If someone were observing them, then she would know as the master of the fortress they were in.

"I might be mistaken, but it never hurts to be careful now does it?"

"If so, then she's quite the troublesome little girl."

"Indeed..."

All three unanimously agreed to this statement, each taking a sip from their cups.

* * *

"Ahahaha~! You look so cute Master~!"

"Geez..."

After several failed attempts, Tamamo had been successful in getting a maid headdress onto Manaka, who herself was currently wearing said matching outfit. She kept wondering as to how she didn't realize sooner the type of clothing she had put on at Caster's suggestion.

Still, it did look good on her. And if Caster thought that Saber would like it... then why shouldn't she try it on?

"Next you should put this on~!" The pinkette pulled out the school swimsuit and the... cat ears and tail?!

"Don't wanna!"

Okay, now there was a limit to how much of a fool she was going to make of herself in front of Caster and that was it!

"Come on Master, You and I will be like a matching pair if you put these on~!"

"No! Have Lancer or Assassin put them on instead!"

"Aw, but you'd look so much adorable in them~!"

Off to the side, as Tamamo tried to convince the young blonde to change into the outfit she had on hand, a single person observed the duo with a smirk on his face. Arms crossed as he leaned against a pillar.

"Heh! Such carefree people..."

Ramesses watched on in amusement, finding the relationship between Caster and their Master to be perhaps the most entertaining thing he had come across thus far.

For all her power, it seemed that Potnia Theron was ironically helpless against the fox woman's tendencies.

* * *

"Ehehehe~!"

Making her way through a forest, Brynhild giggled to herself as she did so. She couldn't really help it, not after what she learned after all.

"Sigurd~!"

Finally, after all this time... she and her beloved would finally reunite! Nothing else could give her so much joy than this!

She wondered what he would say to her? Would he still love her as he did back then? Or would he reject her like what he also did back then? Though perhaps the latter wasn't his fault, something which the teal-haired Valkyrie couldn't really tell, it did not matter to her at all. So long as they were together again, nothing else mattered...!

"Oi Lancer!"

A voice called out to her, and Brynhild turned her attention to the right as she saw familiar black-haired archer running alongside her. He wore green armor, white pants and brown boots. Simple looking gear for a simple looking man, but one whom she knew held a strong sense of justice in his heart. A trait that was admirable and similar to Sigurd, though whose was stronger depends.

"Did you come to join me Archer?" She asked.

"I came here to try and convince you to come back!" Archer replied, speaking in a scolding tone. "What do you think you're doing? Running off like that without even telling Master! She'll probably get mad at you remember?"

"Am I doing something wrong?"

"Wrong? Well-"

"She has a point."

Saying that, Assassin appeared on Brynhild's left, easily keeping pace with both her comrades.

"Assassin." Archer muttered in surprise, realizing that she must've used her presence concealment just now.

"Master never really ordered that we should just stay at the cave for the time being now did she?"

"Wait, don't tell me you're going along with this as well?" Archer asked, exasperated. "I expected that you'd side with me on this one."

"If we can eliminate one of our enemies here today, then I see no purpose in trying to stop Lancer from killing Saber of Black." Assassin declared. "Besides, I feel as though she wouldn't listen to reason either way, so I believe that we might as well help her in the end."

"Ah, you probably have point."

The black-haired Servant replied with a sigh. Taking a moment to look at Lancer, he saw that there was a crazed look in her eyes. Knowing who she was, perhaps it really was futile to try and stop her from taking action against Saber of Black. He couldn't really understand the concept of killing a loved one because you loved them. It was a rather twisted concept to say the least.

"Well, I guess there's no helping it then!"

He might as well lend his aid to the duo. Regardless of reasons, Assassin had a point as Saber of Black was still one of their enemies in the end. And after all, wasn't the child of Saber together with them as well? He was really interested in meeting her for himself!

Arash the Archer grinned in excitement as he kept pace with Lancer and Assassin, now looking forward to the coming event.

* * *

"Enhance my abilities you say?"

Jeanne said in surprise, seated together at a table inside the greenhouse together with Medea. Not long after Astolfo had dragged Sieg together with him in order to help the latter master his new abilities, the blue-haired woman decided that now was the best time to speak with Ruler about her idea she's had since arriving at their new base.

"Yes. Specifically, I mean to enhance your ability to detect Servants over great distances." Medea replied with a nod. "Now then, you said that your current sensory abilities go up to a distance of a ten kilometer radius doesn't it?"

"Yes it does." The young saint nodded. "But how do you plan on enhancing my ability so to speak? Is such a thing even possible?"

"With magic dear girl, hardly anything is impossible. One needs only the knowledge of the right method in order to do it." The Servant of Magic smiled in response. "At any rate, to do this, I'm going to try and link your existence to a few familiars. We'll see if your sensory ability extends if you have eyes and ears that can go further beyond it. Is that alright with you?"

Jeanne didn't really know how to respond to Caster's question. On one hand, it seemed like the blue-haired woman was genuine in her desire to aid them. But, knowing who she was thanks to her abilities, she couldn't help but feel a bit cautious as a result. A woman who was known for betrayal wasn't exactly going to be a person one would desire to be an ally. Though with that said, she felt guilty as well for being suspicious of an ally who so far has done nothing but aid them.

"I-"

"Now I see, you're being cautious of me are you?" Medea said, smiling as she realized what the blonde was thinking about. "Not that I can blame you I suppose. Regardless of it, you my word as a Servant that I'm on your side Ruler."

"My apologies Caster, I know I shouldn't be thinking such things." The former admitted in embarrassment. "I do believe that you're not an enemy. You've more than had your chances to betray us after all. I suppose these thoughts of mine are just a result of trying to align the woman in front of me with the legend spoken of her. I find it hard to believe at times since you're different from what I imagined."

"Hehe, at least your honest about your thoughts. Others would just try to hide it behind words."

The blue-haired woman said, finding the young blonde to be rather cute as she apologized to her. She knew that Ruler had meant what she said. The young saint had spoken without a hint of deceit, telling Medea straight about what she thought. Such a charming trait for a girl to have.

"Well then, should we begin with the experiment?" Jeanne asked.

"In a little bit, I need perform some preparations first." Medea replied, smiling in satisfaction that Ruler agreed. "While you do that, take sometime for yourself. As you can see, the King of Knights is doing so himself."

"Ahaha..."

While the two women spoke with one another, both Arthur and Gilgamesh sat together on the ground with golden cups in their hands. The jug that the latter brought out being placed beside them, with both men looking rather inebriated. Though more the former than the latter, who himself looked more entertained than he was drunk.

Off to the side, Reines also watched the duo with a smile on her face. Clearly enjoying the spectacle before her.

"H-How is it... that you m-managed to... convince me to do this?"

"Hah! What's the matter King of Knights? Had enough yet?"

"N-Never...!"

"Hahaha! Now that's the spirit!"

With that, the two kings continued their drink off. Jeanne could only sigh to herself at this.

On one hand, she was happy that she had been able to calm down both from starting a fight with one another earlier. But as a result, it ended up in Arthur getting himself intoxicated thanks to Archer of Red's special drink. From the looks of it, she might have to help bring him back to their room later. And the last time she tried doing that for someone she knew, they ended up leaving a mark on her so to speak. Her clothes were covered in stench for days!'

The young saint simply hoped that the same wouldn't happen again, she prayed that it wouldn't.

* * *

 _-Later that day-_

Walking through the streets of Tokyo was the group of Waver, Gray, and Aya.

Currently, the former of the trio was holding out a compass, one that wasn't an ordinary origin as the needle was spinning wildly in different directions. It was a simple tool for detecting and measuring mana in certain areas. Waver felt that such a thing would be useful in trying to investigate the locations near the evocation sights. While it was risky for them to attempt such a thing, with Rider and the two Lancers with them, he felt that they were secure enough for such a task.

As they walked around, he also couldn't help but take note of his surroundings.

"Not much has changed I suppose..."

"Eh? You've been to Japan before Lord El-Melloi II?" Aya asked.

"Once, around ten years ago so to speak." The former replied. "I'd rather not talk about it, it's mostly bad memories so to speak."

"I see..." The young teen nodded in understanding. "So does that mean you didn't really need me to help show you around?"

"No, you've been helpful. Since it's been ten years, I'm not exactly well acquainted with this city." Waver assured as he looked closely at the compass. "And it looks like we're getting close. I'm detecting great amounts of mana in the air."

 _"Hehe, it's about time!"_ Iskander telepathically yelled out in Waver's head. _"Spending all this time in spirit form is rather tedious. I'd rather stand and walk with my own two feet!"_

 _"It can't be helped, you're too inconspicuous with your size. We're trying to find our enemies without them noticing after all."_

 _"Point taken, but it's not like our enemies don't know who we are don't they?"_ The red-haired Servant pointed out as well, the logic of which Waver couldn't exactly refute. _"And you know me, I'd rather face our enemy straight on in a fair fight. Charging towards tomorrow is the only way to live after all!"_

 _"Of course you'd say that..."_

Said words were something Waver had gotten used to during his time with Rider all those years ago. While the exact wording was different, the overall message was still the same, and the King of Conquerors both lived and died by it twice now. The first during his own life, the second as his Servant ten years ago.

Now though... he wanted to at least avert the same thing from happening all over again. As Rider's friend and follower, he would do his best to achieve it!

...!

Suddenly feeling himself being overwhelmed by a strange sensation, Waver quickly turned to look around his surroundings and noted their strange appearances.

"Damn it, when did-?!"

Their surroundings were now cloaked in an dark sky, with a completely ethereal feel to it. To add to the strangeness, the numerous civilians that littered the streets now disappeared and left only the trio by themselves.

"W-What happened...?" Aya began nervously.

"The work of the enemy...?" Gray muttered, readying herself just in case.

"Likely. Whatever you two do, stick close." Waver stated in response as the two girls nodded in agreement.

There was no denying the fact that something strange was going on, and most likely it was either the work of Sajyou Manaka or the Rogue Faction. Waver didn't really know who, but he believed it to be the latter. As far as he knew, they were the only ones who had the gull to pull something during the daytime.

"Heh, I guess that means we can finally come out now can't we?"

With that, Iskander, Achilles, and Cu Chulainn all materialized and ready for battle. Each of the three Servants having grins on their faces, showing the clear joy and excitement that the three men shared at the coming battle they all knew was coming soon.

"How many do you think are around?" The Adamant Hero asked, gazing at their surroundings. "I call dibs on the strongest one."

"Hey, that ain't fair." Cu Chulainn replied before raising his fist. "Settle this rock-paper-scissors?"

"You're on!"

Both Gray and Aya found themselves sighing at the antics of the two Lancers. Both of them were actually quite similar now that they both thought about it. It was small wonder that they were getting along rather well with one another.

While they did this, one figure was crouched atop a building far away from the group, silently watching them.

Said figure was one of the many Assassin personas. He mused to himself about how vulnerable they were at the moment, standing like fools in the middle of the empty street, making them easy targets for someone with long-range capabilities. In fact, had their opponents been normal people, perhaps he could've taken the chance to strike then and there. But he and his brethren weren't stupid enough to deal with the likes of Achilles and Hound of Chulainn in a straight-up battle.

At any rate, he might as well inform the others about their situation...

 _"Ready yourselves, the field is set."_

He telepathically called out, knowing that some of his fellow personas were together with Lancer and the rest. After a short moment, he received a reply.

 _"We're already on our way. Do not engage them until we arrive. Our mission here is to observe and help maintain this realm, nothing more and nothing less."_

 _"Understood."_

* * *

 _-Meanwhile, in forests of the Western Tokyo Area-_

"Geez, I'm so bored!"

Elizabeth complained, as she sat inside the car behind her Master. Currently, both Fiore and Kairi were conducting a search while on foot while they patrolled the surrounding area. Siegfried had gone along with them as well, and although he wanted to come along too, Caules felt that he would be a burden and was better off going with Berserker and Saber of Red.

"Hey Master, how long do we have to do this...?"

"We won't be finished until sunset." Caules said, causing the pinkette to slump down in defeat. "Oh come on, it's not that bad right? At least like this, you get to see the sights for a while instead of just doing nothing at home."

"I'm not exactly a forest type."

"Then go to sleep! Just stop complaining will you?"

Mordred stated, an annoyed frown on her face as she drove her Master's car herself. Honestly, why did she have to get stuck with Berserker of all people? At least with Saber of Black, he was quiet enough for her tolerate.

"Gah, you're such a grouch!" Elizabeth replied, sticking her tongue out at the blonde. "It's no wonder you and your father don't get along, not with your attitude."

"Shut up, don't talk to me about him!"

The blonde nearly shouted, but instead spoke in a subdued manner. She seriously didn't need to hear a lecture from Berserker of all people.

"Yeah, you better drop this now before she gets mad Berserker."

Caules muttered quietly as the Servant of Madness merely huffed in reply and turned her gaze away. He also couldn't help but note the irony in asking a Berserker-Class Servant from saying things that would cause another to snap.

With that said, his phone began ringing. Pulling it out, he answered.

"Hello?"

 _"Hey kid, it's me."_ Kairi's voice could be heard on the other end.

"Something wrong? Did anything happen?"

 _"Nothing yet, just checking up on you. Your sister got worried."_

"I see."

Caules found himself smiling somewhat. It was just like Fiore to worry after him in the same way he worried after her.

 _"At any rate, did you three run into anything yet?"_

"It's all quiet on our end." The young teen replied. "Both Berserker and Saber haven't sensed anything strange. For now we're just taking a drive."

 _"I see, then-Ah, shit!"_

"Huh? What's happening!?"

Caules noted the sudden panic in the mercenary's voice. He could also hear the sound of metal clashing against metal for a brief moment.

 _"Sorry but gotta go! We got ourselves a live one!"_

 _"Ehehehe, Sigurd~!"_

"Wait, what about Fiore-!?"

Caules demanded, but to no avail as the call was ended then and there. He then realized what it was, and quickly enough, he turned to look at Saber who nodded in clear understanding of the situation.

"I guess we know where we're headed then!"

Mordred smirked as she turned the vehicle around. Finally, something to kill! She had been meaning to vent all the anger and stress she had been feeling lately. And what better way to do that than to do battle with the enemy?

...!

Feeling danger approaching ahead, she quickly placed her foot on the break as she saw several arrows fly make their mark just ahead of them.

"Show yourselves!"

The blonde-haired knight demanded, her armor and weapon materializing as she did so. Elizabeth followed suit, calling forth her spear as she guarded Caules.

Not along after the former spoke, an individuals landed in front of them. Said person was male, one with dark hair and eyes wearing simple looking armor and clothing that wasn't as extravagant as what she or her father wore, but practical all the same. With but a glance, the trio knew that the person before them was a Servant.

"Who are you!? Allies of that child Manaka or-" Mordred began.

"Haha, nice to meet you I guess. You're Saber's child aren't you?"

"Huh?" The young blonde blinked slightly in surprise but didn't lower her guard. "What does my father have to do with anything? Who are you?!"

"Straight to the point." The man said, nodding in approval. "I'm Archer. I once fought against and with your father during the Holy Grail War. He's a good man, strong and someone worthy of being a Heroic Spirit."

"What?!"

Did she just heard that right? This Archer once participated in the same Holy Grail War her father had before? But that meant that he was on the same side as that girl Manaka then!

...!

Elizabeth quickly reacted in time as she swatted away a dagger aimed at her Master's head, the latter of which didn't even realize it until then.

"As if I'd let my Master get hit so easily!"

Soon afterwards, a second individual appeared beside Archer. This time it was a woman, one who looked eerily similar to some of Assassin of Black's personas with the skull mask, black attire and skin, and purple hair that she had.

"Come on Assassin, did you really have to do that?" Arash sighed at his companions action just now.

"I was trying to eliminate our enemy. And the swiftest way to do that is to aim for the Master." She explained.

"I agree with you, but-"

...!

"Whoa!"

Both Servants leaped back as Mordred closed the distance between and swung her sword, narrowly avoiding being cut in half by the Servant of Red. Once they gathered their bearings, they both saw the undeniable smirk that was growing on the blonde's face.

"Hahaha... I see!"

She laughed to herself, realizing at that moment that she had quite the opportunity!

"You two... you both fought against my father in the past didn't you?"

"Huh? Uh, we did. Well, _I_ did." Arash replied before turning to his shorter companion. "Did you ever fight against Saber, Assassin?"

"Yes."

"Then that settles it!"

Mordred lifted Clarent and pointed it in the direction of the two.

"Right now, I challenge you both to a fight! I'll prove once and for all that I'm more than my father's equal in combat!"

If she could defeat them both here, then that should make her father and Ruler eat their words. With her strength, she was confident that she would be able to take on Archer and Assassin together. Neither class were close-range specialists after all.

"Wait, you're not actually planning on fighting them alone are you?!" Elizabeth interjected as gazed at the blonde, before seeing the serious look in her eyes. "Are you some sort of idiot?! I know you were dumb muscle, but I didn't think you'd be this stupid!"

"Shut it! This is my fight!"

While the two argued, Arash found himself chuckling at the scene as he scratched his head. From the brief exchange alone, he was able to make out the kind of person that Saber's child was. To say that she was the opposite of her father was understating things.

"Well then, how about we take you both on?" He interrupted, catching the attention of the two. "That alright with you two ladies?"

"Ack!"

Both Caules and Elizabeth froze, the forbidden word had been spoken! Saber of Red's Master had told them about the words that should never be spoken to her less she decides to snap, and now Archer had gone and done it!

"Lady huh...?"

Mordred muttered to herself, her voice low and her eyes narrowing into a glare at the black-haired archer. The temperature felt like it dropped several degrees despite the sunny weather. Seeing this, Arash couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Did he say something wrong...?

"Very well then, I'll start with you first Archer..."

The red knight stated, Clarent glowing red with lightning as she walked towards the duo of Archer and Assassin.

"Now... COME AT ME!"

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so wraps up CH21. Hope you all liked it. I was actually going to start the battles in this chapter, but I realized that would be too fast considering the ending of the last one. So as a result, I decided to make another chapter to explain more on a few things and stave off the fighting until CH22.

Also, I think have an obsession with making the characters in this story drink wine as given by last few chapters. I never really touched the stuff myself due to personal preferences. And with that said, down the drain goes Arthur's dignity XD I think I'm making Proto-Gil a bit too friendly, but then again think of that scene as Proto-Gil messing with Arthur for the hell of it XD

Anyway, I guess that probably most of you guys can recognize the field that Waver and group were caught in during the chapter. As to how it works in FMB and why it hadn't been used before in-universe, both shall be explained in the next chapter or so. Meta-wise, I actually completely forgot about it up until now XD

Lastly, do you guys remember Arthur's son in this fic? The one I named after the Roman Emperor Lucius Tiberius that Arthur fought in the legends? Well said emperor had recently made his debut in the prequel novels and his looks and personality makes that naming awkward as hell XD And apparently, Proto-Merlin is actually a woman. I'm half-expecting that should it ever come to it, she'll be voiced by Ayako Kawasumi (Altria) given that Takahiro Sakurai (Arthur) already voices FSN-Merlin.

* * *

 ** _As for those who had questions:_**

 _ **Code Zero:**_ I accidentally erased your review while browsing through the guest reviews the other day. Anyway, don't waste time informing me about things regarding FGO when I PLAY THE GAME MYSELF (Also, its a Mobile Game. Meaning I can bring it along wherever.) and as such would know about the new announcements. Something I told you and others in the past time and again. And I do not post what I draw on the internet due to paranoia on my part. If you had any other questions, I forgot about them XP

 ** _No need be weak:_** I didn't mention Tokiomi because I honestly wasn't thinking of him at the time. Secondly, where Avalon is should be pretty obvious at this point that I'm not even bothering to hide it from you guys.

* * *

That's it for now, please review :D


	22. Act II-22: The Battle is to the Strong

_**AN:**_ And here's CH22 folks! Please review :D

* * *

"I wonder how they're doing right now?"

Ayaka muttered to herself as she sat alone inside her room writing in a journal. It was now a habit of hers to write down any important events that happened in her life, with the Great Holy Grail War now officially being one of those events.

She still couldn't believe that her granddaughter ended up getting involved in the chaos herself. She prayed that Aya didn't get herself hurt or worse killed. She lost enough relatives already, Ayaka didn't think she could handle losing another.

 _'Well, I suppose with Lord El-Melloi II... she'll be alright.'_

Having heard of the fact that Waver Velvet had once participated in a Holy Grail War himself and managed to survive, she believed that her granddaughter was in good hands at the moment. And from what she saw, with the Servants under their control would make sure of that. That blue-haired one that her granddaughter had contracted with, Lancer he called himself, promised to look after Aya for her.

Though something about him unnerved the elderly woman, she nonetheless saw in his eyes that Lancer meant what he said. He even stated that Heroes don't lie, and that was good enough for Ayaka. So long as Lancer didn't try anything funny with her granddaughter that is. He had the look of a flirt all things considered. Ayaka would have preferred it if it was Saber who had gone along with them, but since his duty was now protecting Ruler, he had stayed behind.

 _'Saber...'_

She had never imagined reuniting with the Servant of her sister after so long, and to think that he actually remembers her. The elderly woman wondered what might have happened if he hadn't been there to stop her sister... would she still be alive to ponder such a thing after all these years?

Ayaka was also amazed by the fact that another Servant had summoned a Servant of her own, which to her knowledge was normally impossible. Still, to her it seemed like Saber didn't mind his current position and was quite content in fact. She saw that both he and Ruler shared a friendly relationship with each other. Dare she say it, it looked like he was getting along better with Ruler than he ever did with her sister before her madness revealed itself.

She paused for a moment, looking out of the window and gazed the blue sky.

 _'Sister... where are you right now?'_

She thought for a moment. Shaking her head, Ayaka went back to writing in her journal.,

Before she knew it though, the elderly woman suddenly felt something tugging at her dress. When she looked down to see what it was, she slowly smiled in realization.

"Oh there you are! I was wondering where you had run off to this time."

She said, putting down the pen as she turned her attention towards the small creature beside her and picked it up. It looked to be a cross between a dog and a rabbit with fluffy white fur, making it look unbearably cute to the weak willed.

"Silly thing, you shouldn't worry me like that alright? It's not good to worry an old lady."

The small creature responded by nuzzling its head against her. She could feel its soft fur rubbing against her skin.

"Hehe, I suppose I can't stay mad at you. Come along now, I've got your favorite treats~"

"Fou~!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter 22:**_

 _ **The Battle is to the Strong**_

* * *

"What is this place?"

Aya couldn't help but wonder to herself as she, Waver, and Gray walked together throughout strange realm they were in. Lancer and Lancer of Red were keeping close to their respective Masters, while Rider of Red took to his chariot and observe from the skies.

As far as she could tell, everything within the realm was exactly the same as the streets of Tokyo, but only without people littering said streets. That, and the fact that for some strange reason, some things were reversed such as the words on the various signs. Still Japanese, but backwards.

"This feels familiar..." Waver muttered. "I've felt this sensation before, but... No, could it be?"

"Lord El-Melloi II?"

"What is it Master?" Gray asked. She too was quite curious to know more.

"This world... it feels like the work of the Kaleidoscope." He replied.

"Kaleidoscope? Isn't that the second magic?" Aya asked.

Her uncle and Rin had often talked about the second magic and how their family was related to it through the apprenticeship of their ancestor Tohsaka Nagato to the Wizard Marshall Zelretch over two centuries ago. Though with that said, she didn't really know much about it either as she hadn't payed much attention during their lessons since she never really had a talent in magecraft to begin with.

"The very same." Waver nodded in reply as he continued his observations. "This world feels like its an application of it, but nothing in the way I've seen before. And from the way some of the signs and words are reversed, I suppose calling this realm the Mirror World would be appropriate."

"Mirror World..."

"Say Mage, do you have any idea about how we'll get ourselves outta here?" Cu Chulainn asked.

"For something like this, let me think..." Waver began, crossing his arms in thought. "We have two solutions, neither of which is going to be full proof."

"Better than nothing I'd say." Achilles shrugged.

"Alright then." The long-haired man nodded. "The first solution would be to find our enemies in this realm and kill them. Whoever is responsible, they'd need to be inside this realm themselves in order to maintain it. But that's just my theory anyway, I need more information regarding this world before I could make a final statement."

"Heh, I like that plan already. Simple and clean." The Adamant Hero smirked in delight.

"Boy!"

Looking towards the sky, the group saw Iskander and his chariot making his and then landing next to them.

"How was it Rider? Did you find anything?"

"I did what you asked, and just like you said, there's some sort of barrier around this place." The former replied.

"Wait, what did Rider do?"

"I asked him to circle around the area and try to fly as far away as possible. The fact that he's back so soon means that there's a limit to the space of this world." Waver explained to the group. "And that's where our second solution comes in. Considering how large this world is, maintaining it must be quite taxing. If we wait it out, then it's likely that it would disperse on its own."

"Well that's a little boring. I vote for the first." Cu Chulainn said.

"Haha! I knew I liked you for a reason!" Achilles grinned, delighted that there was someone agreed with him.

"Come on you two, let's be reasonable here..."

Aya began. Though young blonde knew that eventually they would have to fight against their enemies, she didn't really like the idea of doing so while within the Mirror World. Everything just felt so wrong to her, and though she wanted to leave as soon as possible, she found herself agreeing more with the second solution.

"Yeah well I-"

...!

"Shit! Get down now!"

"Ah...!"

Before anyone knew it, a beam of light shot its way towards the group.

Reacting quickly, Achilles stood in front of everyone as he deployed his shield and deflected the assault. Resulting in several buildings being destroyed as the attack bounced off in different directions, some being destroyed from the mere heat of the light itself.

It was an attack he was all too familiar with...

"Heh... Hehahaha!"

Realizing who was behind it, he grinned wildly as he began yelling to the sky

"Hahaha! That was one hell of a greeting just now! I didn't think we'd run into each other again so soon!" He laughed, his gaze directed in front of the group as he held up his spear. "Maybe now we could finally settle our duel from back then. In a place like this, there's no real point in holding anything back right? What do you say!?"

There, on top of a building several yards away from the group, stood Karna. The invincible hero himself smiling at the words of his fellow Lancer as he gazed down upon him. He too had been wanting to do the same. And much like what Achilles said, they now had a perfect opportunity to fight to their hearts content.

"Such a loud person that man is..."

Atalanta commented as she came up beside her comrade, her arms crossed as she eyed the green-haired warrior down below. This was her first time laying eyes upon her fellow hero from Greece, and so far she wasn't really impressed. One look at him already told her the type of man he was; boisterous and battle hungry.

"Oh! Is that...!?"

A smile found its way towards Achilles' face as he laid his eyes upon the golden-haired huntress. He had heard about how she had been summoned by the Rogue Faction, but he didn't think to meet her here of all places!

"Now I see why a lot of men chased after her. Talk about a beauty!" He whistled to himself. "I'd wonder if she'd give me the time of day?"

"Hey, fight before flirt remember?"

Cu Chulainn deadpanned. Though he too had to admit to himself that the woman that Achilles was referring was indeed quite attractive. He could tell as much from this distance. Regardless of that, his first priority was protecting his Master. Women and the like could wait until later.

Thanks to her ears, the Chaste Huntress overheard the comment and frowned. Why wasn't she surprised?

"Do you wish to take him on yourself?"

Karna asked, noting the displeased look on Atalanta's face.

"No, I wouldn't be able to do him harm either way." She sighed as she allowed her bow to materialize. "Do you remember the plan? I shall support you from a distance, and Rider and that fool will try to strike them from the rear. Take care not to get overwhelmed."

"You needn't worry." Karna said. "I shall not lose today."

"Oh? Isn't that a bit presumptuous?" She smirked slightly.

"No, I'm merely stating facts."

With that, the Invincible Hero leaped into action making his way towards their enemies. At this, Atalanta took position readying her bow. All the while finding herself thinking about Lancer's words just now.

 _'That man... he really does believe that doesn't he?'_

There wasn't a shred of doubt in Lancer's voice, nor were his earlier words tinted with arrogance. It was rare for her to encounter someone who absolute faith in their abilities yet did not bother to boast about it either. Truly, people like him were a rarity in this world.

Shaking her head, the Chaste Huntress of Arcadia clear her mind of such thoughts and readied herself for the battle.

* * *

"Hey kid, you alright?"

"I'm fine, these things aren't anything I wouldn't be able to handle!"

Saying that, both Kairi and Fiore had their backs to each other as they were surrounded by several stone golems conjured up by Lancer. The latter had constructed them in order to make sure that they wouldn't interfere with her and Saber of Black. Suffice it to say, they were doing their job quite well.

"Ehehehe~!"

...!

Sword and spear collided, creating explosions of air as both Siegfried and Brynhild moved throughout the area. In the brief moments that she allowed her gaze to fall onto the duo, Fiore couldn't help but note how fast both were. As expected of two legendary figures.

 _'This woman...!'_ Siegfried thought.

Much like how the King of Knights had described her as, the Valkyrie known as Brynhild was quite dangerous indeed. She was both strong and fast enough to match him blow per blow, with no sign of showing any fatigue either.

Not only that, but for every time Balmung made contact with the strange looking spear his opponent wielded, Siegfried swore to himself that her attacks were actually getting stronger the longer their fight was becoming.

He quickly realized that it was her weapon. Somehow, her spear was getting heavier...!

"Sigurd~!"

Covering her body in flames, Brynhild sprinted towards the Dragon-Slayer within a short burst.

...!

Their weapons once again collided, this time with Siegfried finding himself being pushed back as he avoided the former's flame imbued kicks. For someone so light of frame, she was surprisingly strong. He believed that if not for the Armor of Fafnir, he would've been injured already.

"Come now Sigurd, I know that you can do better than this~"

She spoke, giggling to herself. Though he could tell from the way she was attacking that she sought to kill him, her words and behavior spoke otherwise. She was behaving much like a smitten maiden to be exact. A fact that he found somewhat unnerving.

He wondered to himself, had she acted the same during her battle with the King of Knights? He remembered him saying so, but he did not specify to what degree. Or was it perhaps that he was a special case?

The name Sigurd was one he had heard time and again in the past, with some comparing him with the King of Noble Warriors. Personally, he had never met the man himself. But apparently he resembled him, especially given Lancer's behavior towards him.

...!

Parrying another strike, his theory about Lancer getting stronger by the minute was proven true as he found himself staggering somewhat after making contact with her spear again. It truly was getting heavier. Yet from the looks of it, Lancer wasn't at all being bothered by it.

 _'Hmm... there's something strange here.'_

Brynhild thought to herself as fought against her beloved. There was something about him that she couldn't quite figure out. What that something was, she didn't know. And feeling unsettled her for some reason. Like, it was all wrong...

From the way he looked at her. From the way he moved. From the way he held and swung his sword. From the appearance of his sword alone...!

...!

Another clash between their weapons occurred. She noted that even the way he parried her strikes felt different.

What was it? Just what was she feeling?

Conjuring up flames from her body once more, she swung her spear as the searing heat surged forth in a wave.

"Hah!"

With a single swing, Siegfried had cut his way through the flames with nothing but pure force, catching the teal-haired Valkyrie off guard as he jumped through gap created by his blade and closed the distance between them.

...!

Just as it was about to make contact with her, Brynhild kicked Balmung's blade away as she used her other leg to strike Siegfried. Striking him in the face. Unfazed by it, the latter then proceeded to swing his blade in a wide arc.

She quickly evaded said attack, ducking underneath it and closing in on her Sigurd, their faces near each other once-

...!

"...!?"

Taking advantage of her stunned silence, Siegfried leaped back as he saw the teal-haired Valkyrie shaking her head.

She had a shocked expression on her face, as though she had seen a ghost really. It did not go away as she gazed at him, lowering her spear for a moment, as she spoke.

"You're not..."

"Correct, you were mistaken. I am Siegfried."

"...!"

It was then that she realized to herself that what he said was indeed the truth. How could she have been so mistaken!?

 _'Was it because I wanted to see him so badly that I imagined him to be that person...?'_

She found herself smiling bitterly. After all this time, she had believed that she could finally reunite with her beloved Sigurd, only for her own foolishness to get the better of her once more. It was as though fate was playing a cruel joke too, for her to meet a person who so resembled that person yet not be him was a cruel joke indeed.

 _'Still...'_

Regardless of who this man was, his resemblance to her beloved was uncanny to say the least about it.

His mere presence alone was enough to drive her insane. His face, his voice, all reminded her of Sigurd. She felt her heart beating fast everytime she allowed her gaze to fall onto him. Brynhild felt that such a feeling could not be allowed to exist, she wouldn't allow such a thing to sully the feelings she had for Sigurd. Not ever...!

As such...

"My apologies then Siegfried, it just that you reminded me so much of Sigurd that I couldn't help but mistake you for him."

Twirling her spear, the Daughter of Odin pointed it at the Dragon-Slayer and smiled at him.

"However, I cannot help these feelings of mine regardless. I ask of you; will you die for me~?"

...!

Siegfried's response was to swing his Balmung as hard as he could at Brynhild.

* * *

"Hah!"

"Hmph!"

Explosions of air rang out in the city as both Achilles and Karna did battle with one another. Aya couldn't help but watch on in amazement. As brief as it was considering that it just began, when she compared it to her Lancer's own battle with the white-haired warrior, this was on a whole other level!

...!

The mere act of their spears parrying the other's blows caused strong winds to form. If not for the fact that she was standing beside Lancer, the young blonde felt like she was going to be blown away. When she looked at the others, she saw that neither Waver nor Gray were the least affected by the blasts of wind.

"Hahaha! Now this is quite the show."

Iskander grinned. If only the two would reconsider his proposition to join his army. Both would easily become its shining stars!

"We need to clear out from here. Rider, I want you to-" Waver began.

...!

Before their Masters had realized it, both Cu Chulainn and Iskander intercepted several arrows aimed at them, with Gray herself also cutting down several that got past their defenses with her scythe.

When all was clear, Waver inspected the broken pieces of the projectiles shot at group.

"From the looks of it, we also have another Archer-Class Servant here with us."

He stated, as the arrows came from two different directions, one coming from the building where they spotted the golden-haired huntress. Not only that, but not all of the weren't actually arrows. They were crossbow bolts to be more precise.

"Hmph, so it's that bastard huh?"

Cu Chulainn muttered to himself, frowning as he remembered the other rogue archer from before.

Ever since the day they hadn't recovered the Class-Card of the orange-haired bastard, he knew that eventually they'd meet up again. Personally, he had been wanting to pay him back for threatening Aya. But Gilgamesh had taken that away from him.

Now though, the Hound of Chulainn knew that he had his chance. And he wasn't about to let it slip!

"Hey Rider, I'm leaving my Master to you!"

"H-Huh?! wait a minute-!"

The young blonde called out before realizing that Lancer had already ran off in the opposite direction, leaving with her with the others.

"It can't be helped I suppose..." Iskander stated as he raised his sword. "Climb on then!"

With a single slash, lightning struck the ground in front of the King of Conquerors, summoning forth his chariot, Gordius Wheel, and the Divine Bulls that pulled it in all of their glory. Before she knew, Aya had been pulled along by Waver and soon enough she the rest were taken to the skies.

"Wait a minute, what about Lancer!?"

"He can take care of himself." Waver replied as he eyed their surroundings. "For now, the three of us have to get somewhere safe for now where we won't be idle targets."

"But-!"

...!

The sounds of propulsion going off could be heard throughout the area, and soon enough, the group saw what looked to be...

"Missiles?!"

Briefly looking down, Waver saw several Assassins wielding missile launchers down on the ground. Where the hell did they get those?!

"Hold on tight!"

Spurring his divine bulls, the King of Conquerors grinned as he began evading missiles aimed at them. It was a bit hard to do considering the number of passengers he had on board, limiting his maneuverability. Thankfully though, he had lightning.

...!

Thanks to the lightning being generated by Gordius Wheel, some of it shot towards the missiles themselves and caused them to explode.

"Haha! You're going to have to do better than that!"

"Very well then."

Suddenly, a burst of light shot towards them. Turning his chariot just in time, Iskander avoided the blast as he realized who it was.

"Hehe, I was wondering when we'd cross paths again my friend."

There, riding atop a white horse with large wings, was Perseus. The son of Zeus gazing down upon the King of Conquerors with an unreadable expression on his face, with Harpe at the ready in his right hand.

"Rider...!?"

Last Waver heard from Fiore, Rider had been greatly injured by Archer of Black. Had he already recovered from them so soon?

"Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've seen your face. To what do I owe the occasion?"

"Simple really, I believe that it was only just that you know the face of your killer before you all died by my hand."

"Hahaha! Now we can't have that can we?"

With nothing more being said, the King of Conquerors spurred on the divine bulls as he and the Gorgon-Slayer chased each other throughout the skies.

* * *

"How is she?"

Julian asked, standing together with Shirou inside a room where in the middle Assassin of Red stood by herself atop a magic circle. The raven-haired beauty's eyes were closed, hands outstretched to the side as a circle glowed a bright light. One could easily feel the mana being channeled through it.

"Doing well so far. Maintaining something like the Mirror World isn't as simple as it would seem."

Shirou replied, sighing as he crossed his arms while gazing at Assassin. He didn't want to put in untoward stress upon his Servant if he could help it. She had been quite helpful to him and the others already.

 _'Still, I didn't think that would be able to use the Mirror World to our advantage like this.'_

During the Ainsworth's attempt to create their own version of the Holy Grail War, they had also imbued the Class-Cards with the ability to create a pocket dimension of sorts that mimicked the surrounding areas where it was invoked. They were given such an ability in the hopes that they would serve as a sort of battlefield for the participants, as well as prevent any bystanders from witnessing any potential battles.

However, there were problems with it. The field created by a Class-Card was small in nature, about as big as an entire schoolyard to be precise. Not really an ideal battlefield for Heroic Spirits. One needed multiple cards in order to create a field as large as a portion of the city. And the field in general wasn't perfect, as it could break down upon itself at a moment's notice.

To maintain it also required a magus of great skill, one capable of balancing the flow of prana between each card once the Mirror World had been set. Not only that, but they needed to ensure that the field did not break down. Which results in said magus constantly needing to make the appropriate calculations and connections in order to maintain the field. As a result of these needs and with no one capable of matching them, the Ainsworth's decided to forego with the idea.

But, once Assassin had learned about the ability herself, she decided to use it conjecture with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as a medium. The only downside was that maintaining it resulted in her mana reserves depleting at a faster rate. And depending the power of the Heroic Spirits held within, it multiplied the drop rate.

"How is the battle going so far? Anything to note?" Shirou decided to ask shifting his thoughts elsewhere.

"Nothing new yet." Julian shook his head before remembering something. "Though according to Assassin, Rider has now officially taken part in the battle. Much like how you ordered him to, he's currently taking on Rider of Red. All the while keeping his distance so as to not strain himself."

"I see." The white-haired youth nodded. "Then I suppose we should just leave it up to God to decide who the victor shall be."

"Hmph, how foolish." Julian shook his head in distaste. "People should take their fate into their own hands rather let some unseen being do it for them."

"Haha, I suppose you have a point."

* * *

"Ugh..."

"Hehe~"

Jeanne smiled to herself, gazing down at the sleeping form of Arthur as his head was laid down on her lap.

Currently, the two were on the sofa inside the living room while the former waited for Caster to complete her preparations. In the meantime, the young saint decided to attend to her companion who had become intoxicated thanks to Archer of Red's drink.

At the moment, the young man was sound asleep aside from the occasional groan. Knowing how intoxicated he was as a result of Archer's special drink, Jeanne felt that sleep was a good way to prevent Arthur from doing anything stupid. Really now, he couldn't help himself earlier could he?

"Hehe, dummy~" She said, gently stroking his head. "This is what happens when you drink too much."

It seems that even Arthur hadn't been immune to such things. Perhaps she shouldn't be thinking about it, but she nonetheless couldn't help but find herself becoming amused at seeing him in such a state. Dazed out of his mind as he slept off the drink.

Right now, he looked so harmless. He didn't seem at all like the Knight-King who had sworn to aid her in her cause, but just another regular person. Together with his usual demeanor towards her, it just brought a smile to her face thinking about it. She believed that she couldn't have summoned a better comrade and friend, and she was grateful towards him for that.

 _'Now that I think about it, only twelve days have passed since then...'_

Her mind began, as she was reminded of how long it had been since the two of them first met. Jeanne couldn't really believe that it had only been about two weeks since Arthur's summoning. Yet to her, it already felt like a year had gone by since that day.

Knowing this, she couldn't help but feel saddened by the fact that both would eventually bid the other farewell in the near future.

She wondered to herself... Would she remember him? She knew that Arthur was able to keep memories of past grail wars to himself, but the same couldn't be said for her. The young saint would have liked it greatly if it were the case, but she didn't know...

 _'To have bonded so much yet to forget about it as well...'_

The young saint couldn't help but smile bitterly at this. She had already come to treasure their friendship greatly. Forgetting about Arthur... It was a rather cruel and sad thing to imagine, one that caused her heart to ache.

If anything, Jeanne prayed that she would never forget... if she had a wish, then that was it.

"I wonder, what would you think of this...?"

She asked, gazing down at Arthur's sleeping face. Her feelings regarding the matter all but disappeared once she did, replaced by amusement as she continued to gently stroke his head. He really did look rather harmless right now.

...!

 _'Wait a minute, with the way I'm sitting right now...'_

Jeanne couldn't help but to begin blushing as she realized the implications her current position. It just came so naturally to her to do it. And as such, she had failed to see it until now. If others saw her now, they would surely assume something, and she didn't really need that. She had enough to deal with coming from Laeticia.

 _'Now then, I just need to-'_

"Ruler."

Freezing up, the young saint saw Caster at the entrance to the room. A calm look on her face that quickly turned into a smile as she saw the situation before her. Jeanne felt herself blushing, having realized for herself what the former was thinking.

"Y-Yes...!"

She mouthed. Just how long was she standing there? This was too embarrassing...!

"I'm here to tell you that we're now ready." Medea began before her smile widened itself in delight. "But of course, if you need a few more minutes with Saber, then-"

"No, no! I'm ready!" She quickly stated, standing up and being careful to not to disturb her companion. "Let's go now! I'm quite curious to see if this will work!"

With that, Jeanne quickly made her way towards the greenhouse.

Gazing down at the sleeping form of the King of Knights on the sofa, the blue-haired woman remembered the look in Ruler's eyes as she laid his head on her lap. Along with the smile on the young saint's face, it was a look of complete adoration.

"Hehehe~ I see, so that's how it is~"

Judging from her reaction just now, she was either in denial or trying to hide it. Either way, one thing was clear to the Servant of Magic.

She might have some fun with Ruler later...

* * *

"Hah!"

Charging forward with a yell, Mordred raised her Clarent above her head.

...!

Jumping away just in the nick of time, both Archer and Assassin carefully eyed the blonde-haired knight. Her attack just now had ripped through the pavement through sheer force. Had it made contact with them, no doubt they would have already been injured or dead.

"Haha, I'll take care of this one Assassin." Arash stated with a smirk and readied his bow. "You go take care of Berserker."

"Very well."

The Hassan of Serenity nodded in response, going after Elizabeth and Caules.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Mordred yelled after the masked Servant.

...!

Before she could give chase, several arrows flew straight at the red knight. She easily evaded them as she then turned her attention towards their source.

"Hey now, I'm your opponent remember?"

Arash stated with a grin on his face as he readied his next salvo.

"Tch, I suppose I'll deal with Assassin later."

Mordred mumbled to herself frowning at Archer's interference. Was he so confident that he believe that he could take her on by himself? She'll make him pay for such an insult!

"Very well, you'll be my first victim for the day. I'll take your head and stuff it on Berserker's spear!"

 _'Well she's charming. Nothing at all like her father...'_

Arash thought with a smile, remembering his first encounter with the King of Knights as he and the blonde began to do battle with one another.

...!

Several arrows flew, all of which were struck down by Mordred as she charged at the black-haired Archer. Swinging her sword down as she smashed it into the pavement as he leaped away. Smirking, she continued her pursuit of him as both went off into the distance.

While they did this, Assassin pulled out several dirks with both hands and threw them towards Caules.

"Not on my watch you stripper woman!"

...!

Elizabeth twirled her spear and struck down the dirks. She then swung it at the Servant of Shadows. Reacting quickly the latter dodged, causing the pinkette to swing once more to the side, resulting in Assassin leaping back as she threw dirk at opponent.

...!

Blood was drawn as it stained her cheek, but Elizabeth could not feel it. Her abilities prevented her from feeling pain. Though it did serve to piss her off even more.

Assassin then took note to avoid getting close to the Servant of Madness as she quickly began chasing after her.

Caules couldn't help but note how flexible Assassin was as she evaded Berserker's attacks. It was sort of like watching someone dancing really. It was rather mesmerizing to say the least, especially with the outfit that she was wearing. At this distance, he could even smell her... No!

 _'Goddammit, this is no time to be thinking about stuff like that!'_ He though to himself, slapping his cheeks.

"Argh! Stand still will you?!"

Elizabeth cried out in frustration. This battle was different from the ones she had before. This was the first time an opponent was using hit and run tactics against her, so she wasn't exactly prepared for it. She would have much preferred to fight against Berserker of Red if possible, even if he was a little scary and ugly.

Caules watched as the battle between his Servant and Assassin went on. He could now clearly see the difference between the two in terms of how they fought and reacted to each other. Berserker was the stronger Servant if one went by physical capabilities alone, some of her attacks easily striking down trees and destroying the pavement, but Assassin, while frail as most members of the Class, was someone who had probably been trained to fight given how easily she avoided Berserker's assault.

 _'She's not even making use of her Presence Concealment yet. I wonder why...?'_

Though he didn't actually get to see it, Assassin of Black made good use of it during the battle for the grail according to the others. If they could do that, then wouldn't she able to do the same as well?

Assassin then threw another dirk at her opponent. Elizabeth quickly managed to catch it her tail however, smirking as she sent it flying back towards its owner. Striking the former's mask and causing it to crack.

"Ah...!"

The violet-haired assassin cried out in surprise as it quickly fell off, revealing the face of a rather beautiful girl underneath. Caules couldn't but flush slightly as a result. While on the other hand Elizabeth was frowning as she looked at Assassin and gritting her teeth.

"Now that's just cheating...! A cute face like that while wearing that outfit... isn't that a bit arrogant?!"

She demanded and pointed a finger at the latter. Assassin however remained silent, unable to give an answer as she stared at the pinkette with a blank look of confusion. And all that served to do was make Elizabeth even more frustrated with her foe. Was she an oblivious twit too?!

...!

"Urgh...!"

Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts once she heard her Master cry out in pain. Looking back, she panicked once she saw that he was clutching his chest and breathing heavily, causing the pinkette to go over to him.

"Hey, what's wrong!?"

"My body...! It feels really heavy for some reason...!"

Caules said in between breaths, looking quite pale as he spoke. He could feel his body weakening rapidly, and he felt the sensation in his limbs starting to dull. What just happened? He was fine a just a moment ago wasn't he?

"Hmm... that was easier than I expected. You're not much of a magus aren't you?"

"Bitch! What did you do to my Master!?"

Elizabeth demanded as she hefted her spear and pointed it at the violet-haired girl who merely shook her head in response.

"It's too late for that, the poison is already working its way throughout his body."

"...! Poison!?"

Of course, now it was clear to Caules. Saber had mentioned something like that during the briefing that morning. Damn it, why did he have to forget about something as important as that? Stupid, Stupid, Idiot! He chastised himself.

He then realized that Assassin never even made contact with him, so how did she managed to poison him in the first place...

...! Of course! It was the scent! Damn it, Saber hadn't mentioned that the poison was transferable by air. Either that or he didn't know, and Caules doubted that Saber would forget to mention it if he knew.

Knowing this, he reached into his pockets with what strength he had left. Remembering the "gift" lent to them just before they left...

Damn it, he hands were starting to freeze up! Someone else would need to get it for him.

"Berserker...! In my pants pocket... hurry!"

"Right!"

"An antidote? I won't let you!"

Assassin said as she pulled several dirks. Unlikely as it was, she wasn't about to take the chance of allowing Berserker's Master to cure himself.

At this, Elizabeth merely glared hard as she opened her mouth.

 _ **"BACK OFF!"**_

Without warning, Assassin found herself on the receiving end of a sonic blast from Berserker. It was strong enough that it caused her to lose her footing and was quickly sent flying several yards away as a result.

Taking this chance, Elizabeth reached into her Master's pocket and picked up a vial with a strange glowing liquid.

"Huh? What's this?" She couldn't help but stare in amazement.

"Hurry!"

"R-Right!"

Opening the vial, she helped Caules drink the liquid.

As he did, she could feel her Master steadily regaining his strength. Meaning that whatever it was her Master was drinking, it was working quite well. Soon enough, he was no longer as pale as before.

The crisis averted, both sat down on the pavement as they sighed in relief. Though at that moment, Caules quickly realized that Berserker had probably been exposed to the poison as well...

"Quick, drink up!"

"Huh? Wait...!"

Before Elizabeth could even finish her statement, Caules poured the antidote down her throat as well. Causing her to gag somewhat as she realized that it actually tasted really bad. She can't believe that her Master willingly drank it even if his life was in danger.

"What was that for...!?" She demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? You were probably poisoned too." Caules replied, crossing his arms as he continued. "If I could be poisoned from just standing not too far away from you two, imagine what it would be like for you since fought her up close."

"Huh? But I don't feel like I've been..."

The pinkette began before pausing in realization. How could she forget? Her body was unable to feel any sort of pain after all. Maybe it applied to being poisoned too? Not that she really knew it herself. Still, maybe her Master was right. Better to be safe than sorry after all.

"Still, where did you even get that?"

"Archer gave it to me."

"Wait, Archer...!?"

"Yeah, he gave it to me and the other Masters just before we left. Said something about him wanting a certain someone in his debt or something. Don't know how that works."

Caules replied. He didn't really know what went on in Archer of Red's head, and he didn't care to find out. So long as the Golden King was helping them out, he was alright in his book. Though the young man did wonder to himself as to what Archer had meant by that statement.

"Anyway, with this, Archer said that we'll be immune to any kind of poison once we drink it." He continued, gesturing himself. "From the looks of it, he was right. I'm completely okay now. I feel like brand new actually."

"Ugh... so now we're in that guy's debt too?"

Elizabeth groaned, having seen the type of person Archer was and wasn't the least bit amused by him. The idea of being indebted to the Golden King only served to annoy her.

"I guess so." Caules nodded, scratching the back of his head as he understood what Berserker was thinking. "Anyway, we should go take care of Assassin now."

"Right! It's time to pay her back for putting us in debt to Goldie!"

"Uh sure, let's go with that..."

With that, the Master and Servant duo took off in Assassin's direction, following the path of broken trees that the latter had gone through as she was sent flying.

* * *

"Checkmate."

"Ugh!"

Reines frowned to herself as she looked down upon the chessboard in front of her, unable to believe the loss she had just suffered. She silently glared at the Golden King, who had an amused smirk on his face as he spoke.

"That makes this three in my favor doesn't it?" He asked, leaning back into his chair as his smirk grew ever more. "Shall we continue then Master?"

"No, I know when I'm at a loss." The young blonde said, sighing as she continued. "Clearly it was my fault for challenging you to a game in the first place. I didn't think you'd be able to adapt so quickly to it."

"Hah, I have no weakness! Whether it be in battle or in mere games, I cannot be beaten!" He boasted.

"Oh? Then what do you call those rock-paper-scissors games you lost to Lancer?"

Reines asked, smiling as she saw the arrogant look on Archer's face falter for a moment as he frowned at her in annoyance.

"Hmph, I let him win. Besides, I wasn't taking him seriously. Next time will be different."

"So you say~"

She giggled to herself. Archer really was quite amusing whenever he acted like this. One wouldn't think that he was the legendary King of Heroes with the way he behaved. If she had to make an analogy, then Archer was quite close in behavior to the modern-day delinquent. Albeit, one who had a taste for the finer things in life as well. Though she couldn't help but question his taste given the things he had brought the other day during their trip to the city.

 _'I still can't believe he actually brought and assembled model kits...'_

Reines thought, her gaze directing itself towards the models displayed atop the shelf inside the room. Three of them in particular were robots. Two of them were humanoid and had strange looking faces and wing like features on their back. With one standing in martial arts posture and the other riding atop a motorcycle which strangely enough resembled the one she had brought for Archer for some reason.

The third one wasn't as humanoid as the other two, but still had arms and feet. It looked a little like a samurai now that she thought about it. All three along with the model motorcycle were painted gold, which didn't really surprise the young blonde given Archer's usual getup as a Servant.

"You've adapted quite nicely with modern culture haven't you?"

"Hmph, compared to Uruk, I'm completely disgusted by what has become of my garden." Gilgamesh muttered in disgust. "However, I suppose there are a few good points here and there. A diamond in the rough as they say. One merely needs to look carefully to find them."

 _'And those good points are motorcycles and model kits?'_

She mused, sincerely wondering if Archer meant what he said or if he was just the type who was actually rather easy to please when it came down to it. She then shook her head, deciding that such thoughts were best left to be ponder another time. The young blonde turned her attention elsewhere.

Taking a look at the clock inside the room, Reines noticed that a few hours had already passed. She wondered to herself if Waver, Gray, or any of the others were doing alright. Since they were looking for Sajyou Manaka, they were likely to run into her group of Servants.

Speaking of which...

"You were quite kind," Reines began. "To give them those special medicines."

"Bringing that up are you?"

"I'm surprised is all. I didn't think that you'd be so willing to give away precious treasures at a moments notice."

"Hmph, as if losing those vials would mean anything to me." Gilgamesh huffed while crossing his arms. "I have a few dozen more of where those came from. Because of that, I was feeling rather generous. Besides, Saber said that one of our enemies had control over poison. And if I'm not mistaken that Assyrian wench has control over it herself. To die by such a thing would be rather pathetic, so I felt a need to step in if we're to preserve our name."

"If you say so..."

Reines smiled, causing the Golden King to frown as he turned his head away in annoyance. That was more than enough confirmation for the young blonde.

Secretly, Archer actually liked their allies in his own way.

* * *

"Stand still...!"

...!

Mordred cried out as she continually slashed her way through the forest chasing after Archer. He was rather quick of foot, which served to the latter's advantage as he continuously shot arrows her direction.

She had to admit that he was rather skilled to say the least. Despite the speed of which they were moving, Archer's precision with a bow was quite good as he nearly hit her several times. With only her natural instinct and reflexes preventing her from getting hit. His skill was good enough that it reminded her of one of her old comrades as a member of the Round Table, and that served to anger her even more.

As she poured magical energy into her feet, the red knight saw and opportunity and quickly closed the gap between herself and her foe.

...!

"Argh!"

She collided with Archer, bumping into him with her shoulder. The impact had enough force to it that it sent the black-haired archer flying through several trees, finally stopping at the eight one and falling to the ground in a heap.

Mordred found herself smirking at this, only to be surprised when she saw Archer get back up looking no worse for wear. Dusting himself off as he spoke.

"Haha, not bad." Arash said, smiling as he cricked his neck slightly. "Now that was quite the hit, pretty brutal for a knight actually. Maybe I shouldn't have underestimated you."

"You were what!?"

Mordred demanded. So the bastard wasn't even taking her seriously just now!?

"My apologies, I didn't mean to offend." He replied, raising a hand in apologetic manner. "I just wanted to get a feel for how strong you were first. Now that I have, I can finally go all out. You don't mind right?"

"Hmph, as if that would make any difference to me!"

"Haha, alright then..."

Arash then raised his bow, aiming several arrows at the blonde.

"I'll be going all out now!"

Releasing a new volley, Mordred readied herself as she saw the arrows coming in close. Swinging her blade, she prepared to intercept them.

...!

As Clarent made contact with the arrows, the blonde found herself in shock when she felt the force behind them was far stronger than what they were before. Taken aback by this, the red knight was blown back and fell to the ground. Witnessing the destruction caused by the arrows as they continued to fly further and further several yards away.

What was that? So Archer had truly been holding back up until now? Damn him...!

"Make a fool of me will you...?!"

Standing back up, Mordred glared viciously at the black-haired archer as she then charged him.

"I don't think so!"

Another volley was released, this time numbering in the twenties. She didn't care. Now that she knew how strong his shots were, she could react accordingly.

Now putting more effort into her swings, Mordred easily countered the arrows flying towards her as she once again closed the distance between her and Archer. He evaded her strikes, jumping into the air as he released another barrage.

"Hah!"

She yelled, swinging Clarent hard enough that the arrows were blown away by pure force of wind. Taking this chance, she leaped into the air.

...!

Mordred once again swung her blade at Archer, the latter of which parried her strike with his bow, quickly taking advantage of the situation as he used the blonde as a springboard and leaped further in to air and shot several arrows in her direction.

...!

Quickly adjusting herself, the red knight swatted them away and landed on her feet, all the while glaring at Archer, who landed a distance away from her, for even daring to step on her like that. That was a far greater insult than any have done to her before.

Gazing at a few trees next to her, she smirked as she quickly cut them down. Confused as to what she was doing, Arash wondered to himself as to what... Wait a minute.

"This is for stepping on me!"

"You serious!?"

Before he realized, the trees had been thrown right at him in rapid sequence. The black-haired archer quickly aimed his bow and shot his arrows, splitting the trees in half as they fell apart onto the ground.

As soon as they did though, Mordred appeared in front of him. Having used the trees as cover.

"Shit!"

Cursing himself for not realizing sooner what she tried to do, he narrowly evaded the blade aimed at his head. Somersaulting backwards, Arash then readied his bow for a counterattack, releasing it as soon he gained a clear vision of Mordred.

...!

"Gugh!"

At such a close distance, the blonde couldn't react properly in time and thus resorted to blocking the shot with the flat side of her sword. It worked, but it did push her back a great deal. Stopping only once her back had forcefully hit a tree, causing her to drop the ground.

With that, the two decided to catch their breaths for a moment, silently eyeing the other as they gathered their bearings.

"Bastard...!"

Mordred growled as she glared at her opponent and stood right back up. She'll give him credit, he wasn't as weak as she had imagined him to be. Regardless, she'll have his head one way or another. He had insulted her honor earlier by stepping on her like that. She would not simply forgive him for that.

Arash on the other hand was oblivious to what the blonde was thinking and instead had other things on mind.

Right now, he couldn't help but be overjoyed since this was the first fight he had since his summoning, and Saber of Red was a fine first opponent. And for her to be none other than the child of the King of Knights, it caused him to reminisce on the past.

"Haha, you're not half-bad Saber." Arash complimented. "You remind me of your father."

"Shut up! Don't you compare me to him!"

Mordred exclaimed. The last thing she needed was being compared to her father, especially after her talks with both him and with Ruler not long ago.

"Ah, I see." The black-haired archer nodded to himself. "That makes sense, considering who you are, I suppose it's only natural that you'd react like that. My apologies then, I just couldn't help myself I suppose. Your father was strong when we first fought, and so are you."

"Of course I am! As my father's heir, it's only natural that I'd be strong!" She boasted, puffing her chest out and standing proud.

 _'Well she's pretty easy to read...'_

Arash thought with a chuckle. Saber's words just now indicated a lot about her really. She yelled at him for comparing her to her father, yet at the same time she took pride in being his child. If those were any indications, then it meant that while Saber held some hatred for her father, she admired and loved him greatly as well. Though that was just his guess, but the look of pride in her face she replied to his statement said a lot.

 _'What a complicated kid...'_

Well, it wasn't really Arash's place to comment about such things. He didn't know much about the history between parent and child to begin with, so he decided to drop the topic. Right now, he had other things to attend to.

"Well then, let's continue shall we!?"

"Bring it on!"

With that, the two resumed their battle with one another.

* * *

...!

Sword and spear clashed, sparks flying between both as Siegfried and Brynhild stared each other down before leaping back from one another.

Currently the two were evenly matched, but the former soon realized that he would soon be overwhelmed as his opponent was getting stronger by the second. Through what means he didn't know. What he did know was that unless something was done soon, he believed that Lancer would eventually win this bout of theirs.

Charging through, the Dragon-Slayer tried a full-on assault. It didn't work as the teal-haired Valkyrie matched him blow per blow.

Still, in spite of everything, he was enjoying himself. This was the first fight where was he was fighting to his utmost limit and not interrupted by outside circumstances. He treasured this experience whether or not he would win or lose.

With that said, he had no intention of doing the latter...

"Burn~"

Speaking a single line, flames erupted from the Valkyrie's body. With it, Brynhild herself charged the Dragon-Slayer.

...!

"Urk!"

A solid kick was sent to his stomach, causing the Dragon-Slayer to flinch in pain as he was blown back towards a tree. Finding himself pinned to it as Brynhild came in close, a curious and loving look in her eyes as she quietly gazed at him.

"Aah, you truly do remind me so much of Sigurd~" Brynhild commented as she placed a hand over Siegfried's face. "From your face, the way you carry yourself, to the sound of your voice... it's quite terrifying for me to comprehend really."

"My apologies if I got your hopes up then."

He merely replied. From what he observed, Lancer sincerely wanted to reunite with her beloved but had mistakenly identified him as said person. He could sense the sorrow she had felt once she realized her mistake, so Siegfried believed that the least he could do was apologize.

"Even your kindness reminds me of him..." She stated, a sad smile growing. "Why did the two of you have to be so similar?"

"My apologies, I also do not know the answer to that!"

Siegfried replied, kneeing her in the gut and breaking free of her grasp. He then quickly followed up by swinging Balmung at his opponent, who responded by raising her spear and parrying the strike.

"How cruel, to do such a thing to a woman~"

"My apologies."

"Ehehe, has anyone ever told you that you apologize too much~?"

Brynhild giggled, readying herself for another bout as did Siegfried. Both stared at each other, motionless and waiting for the other to make the first move. For the former, she was doing so because she wanted him to make the first move. For the latter, he knew that thanks to Lancer's strange ability to grow stronger, he was already at a disadvantage. What he needed was an equalizer...

"Saber!"

Both turned to look at Fiore, the young brunette now standing together with Kairi who eyed their surroundings carefully.

Brynhild looked at the duo surprised, had they already taken care of the remaining golems themselves? She must've underestimated their strength then.

"Saber, by the power of my Command Spell, I order you..."

Fiore began, the sigils on her left hand and forearm glowing brightly underneath the clothing she wore over it, revealing the appearance of eleven Command Spells.

"So many!? But how...!?"

Brynhild voiced in shock, causing Fiore to smile somewhat. She had taken the extra Command Spells from the remains of her grandfather, Uncle Gordes and Aunt Celenike before they left. Both Caules and Roche agreed to let her have them all since she had the most powerful Servant among the three. Not only that, she was the most trustworthy to have them as well.

"Be sure to make good use of them kid." Kairi smirked, gazing slightly at the girl behind him.

"I will."

Fiore smiled and nodded in response as she turned her gaze towards Siegfried.

"Saber, I order you to win this fight! Defeat Lancer!"

Three of the Command Spells disappeared from her forearm, and Siegfried could feel an incredible amount of power surging throughout his body. He felt incredibly light, his strength and abilities now tripled from their previous value.

Raising his sword, he spoke to Lancer.

"My apologies Lancer, I shall be defeating you here now."

"Ehehehe~! Very well, come at me!"

Her response clear, the two continued with their bout. A renewed Siegfried now taking to the field.

* * *

"Tch, where the hell is that bastard?"

Cu Chulainn spat out as he walked through the empty streets. He could hear the sounds of battle echo throughout the city, and hearing them made him want to join in on the fun himself. It wasn't every day when you got flying chariots and horses in the sky while demigods did battle with mortal men. Just the idea of it was enough to send tingles of excitement down his spine.

Unfortunately, he had other matters to attend to. And that was making sure that Archer was taken down wherever the hell he was.

Back then, he was unable to sense the rogue archer approaching. Even if he was distracted by his fight with Karna, he should've at least felt something. The fact that he didn't meant one thing, and that being that Archer had an ability to disguise his presence much like Assassin.

If that was the case, then perhaps he could have a little fun.

...!

Swatting away several bolts that flew towards him, glared in the direction they were shot from and saw a figure there.

"There you are!"

Cu Chulainn quickly closed the distance between himself and the source of the attack.

Soon enough, he arrived at the top floor of an office building where the bolts were shot. He was a little offset by how empty and quiet everything was. There wasn't anything natural about the world they were in at all.

Making his way through the room, he couldn't sense Archer. Had he already left? Or did he-

...!

"Huh?"

He felt his foot get caught up in something. Looking down, he saw a line of string stretched across the area where he was in.

Just as he wondering what they could be, he heard something a ticking sound going off...

* * *

...!

Robin Hood smiled to himself as he gazed at the beautiful inferno that was the office building. Looks like Lancer had fallen for his trap.

"What an idiot, I didn't think that would actually work."

Who would've believed that a bunch of explosives and a piece of string would be enough to set a trap for a Servant? He really should thank their boss for setting them up with such nice treats, and both Caster and the Lady Queen for giving them an extra boost in firepower.

"Archer, what do you think you're doing?"

One of Assassin of Black's personas appeared before the orange-haired rogue and walked up to him.

"What? Can't a guy enjoy the view?"

"You fool, you're supposed to be aiding Rider and the others right now." He replied in anger. "Why did you have to go and do that? You were supposed to leave Lancer to us!"

"Come on, I took care of him didn't I?"

"Yes, but we ended up losing some of our brethren thanks to your actions!"

"Oh did I?" Robin muttered in honest surprise. "My bad then."

"You bastard...!" Assassin growled.

...!

Reacting as quickly as he could, Robin grabbed the Assassin persona and switched places with him.

To his luck, it worked. Just as he switched places with the Hassan and leaped away, the latter was soon pierced through the heart by a familiar red spear. Instantly killing the person as he began dissolving into the air, a blue-haired man walking up towards them as it occurred and picked up the spear.

"Huh, should've known you would've dodged that. I guess I should've thrown it properly then."

Cu Chulainn stated, an calm yet angry look on his face as he glared at the rogue archer.

Taking a moment to look down at the dissolving mass that was Assassin, he returned his gaze back to Archer and then spoke.

"Bastard, that was a cheap trick don't you think?"

"Which one? My attempt to blow you up or the one where I used him as a shield?" Robin asked while smirking.

"Both." Cu Chulainn stated.

"Heh, it's not like Assassin doesn't have another dozen lookalikes. Losing one wouldn't affect him that much." The former replied. "And me trying to blow you up was me trying to live up to my duties as a Servant. That and taking you on in a fight isn't exactly my thing you see, so I opted for a simpler route. Clearly it didn't work."

"Bastard, don't you have any pride? Cheap tricks like these won't earn you a real victory."

"Maybe they won't, but they'll at least help earn me a longer life." Robin declared as he readied his crossbow. "Now how about we cut the chitchat and just get down to the fighting shall we? We both know that's what you want."

Cu Chulainn smirked at this, twirling his spear as he got into a fighting stance. As he did, he noticed some of the Assassins now appearing beside Archer. He realized that they also meant to take part in the battle as well.

Not that he minded though. It'd take more than a few bastards hiding in the shadows to kill him!

"Bring it on then, I'll show you how worthless your tricks are! I'll take you all on!"

"I swear to god, you knights are all the same. Honor this, honor that... honor doesn't win you life!"

With that, the Hound of Chulainn, Rogue of Sherwood, and the Hassans began their battle.

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

And that's a wrap for CH22. I hoped you all liked it. This chapter was once again one of the harder ones I've had to tackle since fight sequences were never my thing. That and I was trying to figure out how Hassan of Serenity's poison abilities worked and how I could work them into the story. I hope it checks out well enough, together with Brynhild and Arash as well since this is my first proper showing of their characters. I've read about how they are in the novels, but it's been a while since I did that and my memory of them might be rusty. So apologies if any of them are out of character.

I was also planning on having Iskander release his Reality Marble here, but decided that it was too soon since the battle had only begun. Don't worry though, it will come soon :D

I also don't know if Brynhild could actually create artificial constructs of her own like Golems, but I decided to just give it to her since was a former Goddess after all and knows magic herself. So it wouldn't be surprising if she could create something like that herself. And I hope the explanation for the Mirror World's use and existence in FMB was good enough. Because I sometimes have trouble with the mechanics of such things myself.

Also, the current battle may extend into three chapters instead of my usual two. Though it really depends on the length of the battles I write in. Lastly, I may end up writing a little something fun for the upcoming anniversary of FMB. While I doubt I could have it out by then, I think I'm going through with it regardless. It will most likely be gag scenarios and that involve the cast, along with a special preview for a future fanfic of mine if I can add it in.

* * *

 _ **As for those who had questions or made statements:**_

 _ **Code Zero:**_ Already replied to you by PM.

 _ **Black 13:**_ No, never have I felt any sort of hatred for Cursed-Arm Hassan. Why would I? And if you haven't noticed, his popularity has been growing since FGO was released. Some people are actually calling him Batman thanks to his interludes. And his role during the Camelot Chapter helped win over even more fans to his side. And stop asking me about things unrelated to FMB. If you made an account like Code Zero, then we can talk. I said this over a dozen times now.

 _ **Cain:**_ Same thing as Black 13, stop asking me about things unrelated to FMB unless you have an account to which then we can talk to each other about stuff like that. That said, I shall only ever pick Jeanne as my favorite XP And you know what? I never thought about calling them the Phantom Faction. I might consider using it in the future. It's better than just "Sajyou Manaka's group" or whatever. As for Miyu, no real answer since I'm not really delving into the Emiya family in FMB. I'll make references to them but that's about it.

 _ **Fatcat:**_ Are you asking me if Jeanne or Atalanta are going to fight? If so, just read the story.

 ** _ordinarybystandr:_** I was actually planning on giving them that kind of relationship to begin with. Or at least something similar that is since I haven't really had time to show it yet. Anyway, FGO basically confirmed my thoughts about the two. So now I could go into it without any doubts.

* * *

Anyway, that's it for now. Please review :D


	23. Bonus Act I

**_AN:_** Happy anniversary everyone! For anything else, see the AN below.

 _ **Update (10/22/2016):**_ Edited a few parts regarding Shirou and Aoko's scenes together with Issei, mostly because I wanted to fill it out a bit more.

* * *

 ** _Extra Act:_**

 ** _The Adventures of Kamikaze Magical Girl Jeanne_**

* * *

The Holy Grail War.

A secret war conducted by magi in order to determine who among them will gain the legendary artifact and thus use its powers to grant their deepest and most sought after wish. There are always seven Servants that must be summoned by the chosen 'Masters'.

Saber, Servant of the Sword and Badassery.

Archer, Servant of the Bow and Trolliness.

Lancer, Servant of the Spear (and the one that always dies in a disappointing fashion).

Rider, Servant of Awesome-I mean, Servant of the Mount.

Caster, Servant of Magic and Generally Being Crazy.

Assassin, Servant of Getting Worfed.

Berserker, Servant of Madness.

However, the Trifas Holy Grail War is unique; for some inexplicable reason, there are two teams of Masters with each having their set of Servants. The Red Faction-or rather the Villain Faction, and the Black Faction-the Faction that gets worfed thanks to PLOT.

Due to this occurance, due to the Holy Grail War's most fundamental rules being broken, there was a need...for an administrator. Someone to keep the Holy Grail War in line and help it be performed properly. The Servant in charge of this, is known as 'Ruler'. With Command Spells corresponding to each Servant in the Grail War, and having sworn an oath of neutrality, Rulers were meant to be the enforcers of the Holy Grail's will.

Thank god that the Einzberns didn't decide to summon a God in the Third Grail War. Who knows how that could have turned out? Maybe it could have resulted in the end of the world! But alas, that did not happen here, since the Einzberns actually had some sense!

The Ruler that was summoned for this Trifas Grail War, was the greatest martyr in the history of the world...

Jeanne d'Arc.

However, there was an irregularity with the summoning, and as a result Jeanne was affected. No, she didn't become super edgy and clothed in goth black. Something far more worse and sinister...

No longer was she Jeanne d'Arc, Maiden of Orleans but rather...

Kamikaze Magical Girl Jeanne! The Magical Girl of Beating the Crap out of People!

In the name of FRIENDSHIP!

...Oh come on, don't throw the bananas! Naruto does this shit all the time! And so does Nanoha!

Ahem, anyway, back to the narrative...

* * *

If there was one thing Robin Hood, now known as Archer, wished it would be that his companion would _at least_ talk a little. Berserker didn't say anything as he just stood as still as a statue besides the Outlaw of Nottingham; to someone like Archer who prized banter, it was a severe letdown. Hell, even the other Archer, Atalanta, would have been a better companion since she at least would react to his snark.

In his green robe with its hood drawn up, Archer looked down at the truck bearing their target, Ruler. He had to admit, Ruler was an attractive maiden. Her long hair was done in an intricate braid and seemed to be enjoying the scenery passing by. Archer also remembered this route: it led to a certain church if he recalled, but he couldn't be too sure; what Ruler was doing, going there, wasn't something that he was supposed to question.

He had his orders, and would follow them obediently. Even Berserker, his Black Knight companion, would follow their Master's orders. And if Ruler isolated herself from other people, and left herself open to a tag-team from the two of them...that made Archer's day even better, in his opinion.

"Ready, partner? Let's go." Archer said to Berserker, and the two leapt off after Ruler in spirit form.

As they followed her, Archer couldn't help but be somewhat surprised this girl was Ruler; she was energetic at times, as well as enthusiastically petting animals, plus here wasn't even a remote chance of her being stoic or unfeeling as he expected Rulers to be like- as they handled the rules of the Holy Grail War, Archer had a natural expectation that they would be like 'hanging judges'. But he was wrong here, clearly.

It didn't make a whole lot of difference, in the end.

Archer saw her enter the desolate cathedral; good, that meant no witnesses. It suited Archer's style of combat, which was to kill from the shadows despite his own desires. His orders came first after all. He and Berserker turned back into their physical state, and walked into the cathedral.

Ruler was there, and turned to face them. She had just finished drawing some kind of magic circle on the ground, but Archer wasn't too bothered by it. After all, _could_ Ruler summon a Servant? Highly improbable.

"Hello there missy." Archer mockingly saluted her, while Berserker stood still. "You're Ruler, right?"

"Hmm? Who are you?" Ruler asked with wide eyes and a look of bafflement. "I can't sense a connection between my Command Spells and you. Are you rogues?"

"Well, that's not up to me to say." Archer replied, smirking. "Anyway, we've been ordered to kill you. So, better say your prayers or whatever you saints say."

Berserker geared up in response; he picked up a fragment of stone around the size of a sword, and was ready to spring forward. Ruler didn't do anything-she just stood still with her head turned slightly in a ridiculously cute fashion.

"So you're here to kill me? That's not very nice." Ruler told Archer flatly. "It'd be better to be friends, right?"

"We'll never be friends or allies." Archer said in response. "After all, you're going to die here!"

"Ah, I can't allow that." Ruler shook her head, and began taking a stance. "I'll befriend you no matter what!"

Before Archer and Berserker could even think of interfering, light surrounded Ruler, obscuring her from their sight. Archer cursed, and took aim wildly with his crossbow. Berserker ran forward, but was repelled by some kind of barrier.

"Saint Prism Power! Kamikaze!" Ruler shouted, as the light began to wrap around her in ribbons.

In a process that seemed to take _hours_ , so long that Archer was legitimately wondering whether or not Ruler was even in front of them any more, the light disappeared and showed Ruler's new appearance that baffled Archer and even Berserker.

Ruler's new costume was _so damn yellow!_ She had a white beret on her head that also had dog ears of all things attached to them, as well as a dress that was quite revealing along with a ruffled skirt that was, of course, yellow. She additionally had some sort of collar around her neck that resembled one you'd put on a dog. Ruler also carried a battle standard with her right hand, with the flag flying majestically due to suddenly conjured wind.

"Kamikaze Magical Girl Jeanne!" Ruler's flag rolled up into the standard, and she held it like a polearm now. "Buster form, set up! Now, are you ready to be _befriended?!_ "

"What." Archer remarked, not even making an effort to attack. "What...just _what?"_

Even Berserker was surprised, from how he tipped his helmeted head to the side and dropped the stone fragment he was holding. A beat passed between them, before Ruler asked them a question enthusiastically.

"So, can we be friends now?" Ruler asked. "I'd rather not fight you."

"Uh, we actually _do_ have to kill you..." Archer said absent-mindedly before regaining confidence. "Sorry, orders. Sic 'em, big guy!"

Berserker roared, and began to get ready to run at Ruler. To her credit, the Saint stood her ground and merely closed her eyes and began saying words Archer couldn't hear.

"Preparation complete. Beginning holy light gathering." Ruler recited, and even as she did a magical circle appeared in front of the tip of her standard, with glowing motes of light around it.

"Shit! That's...!" It was undoubtedly her Noble Phantasm, Archer realized. It was charging at a phenomenal pace and was going to fire in just a few seconds...!

Berserker roared and ran right at her, but Ruler didn't let that distract her. She opened her determined blue eyes, and shouted the name of her Noble Phantasm that was about to blast the crap out of these two unfortunate Heroes.

"La Pucelle... _HOLY BUSTER_!" Ruler shouted, as the light reached a peak brightness.

What can only be described as a beam made of rainbows shot from the magical circle. Berserker couldn't even react before he was hit by it, and neither could Archer. The shot was so powerful that they were sent up flying into the atmosphere, and as they were, Archer was overcome by a need to preach about friendship and love...!

"What the hell?!" Archer shouted as despite the immense pain, the attack was actually quite relaxing. "Why do I need to preach...that... _FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC?!"_

"We're blasting off again..." Berserker muttered, overcome by the same emotions as his comrade which, in turn, shut off his Mad Enhancement.

Soon, they were just a speck in the sky. As Ruler looked on, the two enemy Servants disappeared in a twinkle, like a star before she couldn't sense them anymore.

"Aw, I put too much power into it..." Ruler mourned. "I wanted to befriend them, not use the Elements..."

Her thoughts were distracted from mourning the potential friendship she could have had with Archer and Berserker when the magical circle she had crafted earlier glowed brightly, before a person stepped out of it, standing tall. Ruler looked on in awe as her Servant walked forward until he was in front of her, and blushed at how attractive he was.

Now, if this was a certain other universe, Jeanne d'Arc would have summoned Arthur Pendragon, King of Knights as he was in life: dignified, badass, a hit with the ladies and a friend with the ladies (with the exception of his bitch ex/half-sister Morgan le Fay).

However, due to being summoned by Kamikaze Magical Girl Jeanne, Arthur was instead summoned as...

Jeanne's Servant was clad in a suit of the highest quality, and coloured the most regal blue. Additionally, his cape was pure white, and shone with the light of the faeries that had crafted Excalibur. Atop his head was a top hat of the same blue as his suit, but bore strange markings upon the brim, alongside a pure white domino mask on his face that _might_ have served as a disguise but to a sensible person would have instantly given away the person's identity.

"Behold, it is I! Servant Saber! But you may also call me..." Saber twirled around Excalibur, which now resembled a rapier for some reason instead of its broadsword configuration. "Tuxedo Arthur! May I ask if you're my Master, fair maiden?"

Tuxedo Arthur bent down, and kissed Kamikaze Jeanne's hand, causing her to blush intensely. And from that moment on, from Tuxedo Arthur smiling at her pleasantly to Kamikaze Jeanne blubbering at her new Servant, an inseparable bond was forged.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Trifas...

Ayaka Sajyou walked about Trifas with her Servant, Lancer in his spirit form. He was a wild looking person, wearing a blue and white battle suit with grey pauldrons as well as long blue hair and red eyes. He had, from the first moment of the contract being forged, teased her about everything, and it was getting quite annoying.

She was biding the time waiting for Ruler to arrive in Trifas, but for some reason she got a strange feeling up her spine, as if to warn her about her thoughts.

But surely, Ruler was a sensible, down to earth person, right?

"Master, look out!"

All of a sudden, she heard her Servant call out to her and pushed her out of the way of something. To do so, he had to go into his physical form, and as such was struck by the white light that was almost like a star. Smoke billowed about as Ayaka struggled to stay on her feet, but clamoured to see what had become of her Servant.

He was at the bottom of a dog pile consisting of a medieval-looking equivalent of a hobo, and a grown up chuunibyou who was wearing edgy, black full-plate armour. From what she could see, Lancer was pressed so far down into the crater that she could only see his limbs.

"Lancer died!" Ayaka shouted in alarm, as Lancer's limbs twitched in response.

"You...aren't...human..." the Black Knight murmured before passing out again.

"Would you...like to hear about...our Lord and Saviour...Friendship?" Archer managed to get out, before he, like Berserker, passed out from the impact.

Luckily, Lancer had broken their fall and would recover. Physically, not psychologically however.

Damn E-Rank Luck!

* * *

 _Noble Phantasm Stats_

La Pucelle: The Holy Buster of The Saint

Type: Anti-Fortress

Rank: EX

Range: 1-99

Max. number of targets: Over 9000

Description:

Due to being summoned as Kamikaze Magical Girl Jeanne, a person whose legend was, by default, much different to the Maiden of Orleans' blood stained past, La Pucelle is inherently different; Kamikaze Jeanne fought for hope and justice despite her past and never came to the violent end her regular self did. Instead of being a physical object, it is now a technique of Kamikaze Jeanne's. A blast-type attack, it gathers all of Kamikaze Jeanne's belief in God and religion, as well as her attributes as Ruler to allow her to shoot a powerful rainbow blast from the tip of her battle standard that has a 100% of infecting the hit enemy with the rare epidemic known as 'Friendship-mania'-making them obsessed with friendship and forcefully making them Kamikaze Jeanne's ally for as long as she lasts in the Holy Grail War.

* * *

 ** _Side Act:_**

 ** _The Other Side of Fate_**

* * *

 _"Then I'll become a hero for your sake! That's fine isn't it?"_

 _That night, in the middle of a park, two children stood together under the moonlight..._

 _"Become a hero for my sake...?"_

 _One of the children was a girl with brown hair. The other child was a boy with red hair, the former having just made a rather surprising statement to her._

 _Just what did he mean by that? Becoming a hero for her sake. As young as she was, even she knew that was a rather childish thing to say._

 _"Yeah," The boy began with a smile. "A hero is someone who saves people and makes them happy aren't they? My old man said so once. If I become one for you, you'll definitely by happy right?"_

 _"But how will you do that? Becoming a hero isn't easy you know..."_

 _The girl replied, frowning slightly at the boy for saying such a thing. It wasn't as though she didn't appreciate it, but..._

 _"I'll definitely be able to do it!"_

 _The boy suddenly exclaimed much to her surprise. "No matter how long it takes, I swear that I'll become someone who can make you happy! I guarantee it!"_

 _For a few moments, the girl was stunned into silence. He really was serious about it wasn't he? She could see it in his eyes that he wasn't just saying it for the sake of acting cool, but because he genuinely believed in it. As young as she was, she was able to tell such a thing for herself thanks to experience._

 _She snorted somewhat, smiling a little as she looked at the boy._

 _"You know... just now, it sounded like you wanted to marry me."_

 _"Ack!"_

 _The boy froze up in embarrassment, realizing that his words just now had indeed sounded like that. He then began fumbling with his words, unable to respond properly much to the girl's amusement. Really now, he was always like this..._

 _"Then it's a promise..."_

 _She began, catching the boy's attention as she held out her pinky finger._

 _"Make sure you keep it alright? If you don't, I'll get really mad."_

 _"Huh? Oh, right!" The boy said, snapping out of his earlier stupor as he entwined his own pinky with hers. "I promise. One day, I'll make sure that you'll always be smiling. You won't have to worry about the future with me around!"_

 _"Hehe, thank you Shirou."_

* * *

"Something the matter Emiya?"

"Huh?"

Snapping out of his trance, a certain red-haired boy jerked in surprise as he heard his name being called out.

"You were spacing out for a moment. Is everything alright?"

A boy with black hair and eyes asked. He was wearing glasses, and together with his clean appearance, it gave him the image of a dependable person

"No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about stuff. Nothing important."

"I see."

The other boy nodded as they continued walking. The two were currently making their way through the school hallways, both carrying small boxes with varying contents.

The red-haired teen's name was Emiya Shirou, age fifteen and a first year student at Homurahara Academy. He was currently helping his friend Issei move boxes for the student council thanks to an electrical fire forcing them to temporarily relocate to another room for their meetings.

"Still, talk about a freak accident." Shirou began. "What was the President doing?"

"Who knows? I've never been one to understand women, you know that." Issei replied with a thinking expression. "Especially the President. There's something about her that I can't quite wrap my finger around yet. It makes chafe whenever she's around."

"You mean like the way you react when Tohsaka's around?"

Speaking of Rin, he hadn't seen her at school lately. Shirou had heard from her mother that she and Sakura had taken a leave of absence thanks to some family business out of country. Knowing them, he knew that they would be fine. But he nonetheless hoped that she and her sister wouldn't get themselves in trouble.

"Exactly, though perhaps the President is even worse. Unlike Tohsaka, she doesn't bother hiding her real self behind a mask."

"Aren't exaggerating just a little?" Shirou asked with a crooked smile. "I mean sure, the President can be a little mean but-"

"You don't know the half of it!" Issei exclaimed. "That woman is the she-devil I tell you! I make the slightest mistake and she looks like she's about to turn me into a eunuch! A monk in training I might be, but I have no intention of losing that which makes me a man!"

"Say, you're not still sore about losing the elections to her are you?"

"Ack! W-Who's still sore? I took that lost in stride and decided to work hard as the Vice President instead. You can't prove anything!"

"Right..."

Shirou knew better. Issei had always believed himself to be one suited for the role of Student Council President, an opinion that many also agreed to. He was studious, responsible, and quite dependable. He had high grades, and he never really faltered from them as far as Shirou had known him. So when it was finally revealed that he lost, many were quite shocked in fact. They along with Shirou wondered just who could beat Issei.

"Oi Emiya!"

A voice called out, one that Shirou was all too familiar with.

Turning around, both boys saw a girl approaching them, one with long brown hair that easily reached her waist. She had eyes that were a deep blue, so much that one could get lost staring in them. And if he had to say something about the girl, it was that her uniform did nothing to hide how curvy she actually was underneath. He sometimes found himself asking if she really was around his age.

...!

"Gugh!"

Before either of them knew it, Issei was suddenly kicked by the girl and sent crashing to the floor. Shirou merely sighed at this, it was something he had already gotten used to.

"D-Damn you Aozaki! Why did you kick me when you were calling for Emiya!?"

"It's because you dragged him into helping us again you idiot." The girl replied, before turning her attention towards said person. "And you! What did I tell you about doing everything that anyone asks you to do?"

"Come on President, there isn't anything wrong with that is there?"

Aozaki Aoko, age fifteen and current Student Council President of Homurahara Academy. She was as smart as she was beautiful, a trait that caused many guys to try and win her over. Suffice it to say, none succeeded. Despite her good looks, Aozaki's personality was quite the turn-off.

"Idiot, don't try to stand up for him." Aoko snapped in annoyance, causing Shirou to flinch. "And anyway, give me that!"

She said, taking away the box from Shirou before suddenly dropping it onto Issei.

"Ack!"

"Don't you have to go pick up your little sisters?" Aoko then asked, pointing to a wall clock that revealed the time. "At this rate, you'll be late you know. Keeping two girls waiting is a bad habit. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Ugh..."

Indeed, it was already late in the afternoon. He was supposed to pick up both Ilya and Miyu in the next few minutes. But with his decision to help Issei and the Student Council, he must've forgotten about it. Sella wouldn't let him hear the end of if she ever found out.

"Go on now, shoo shoo!" She waved off. "And don't let me catch you being distracted by your hero complex again."

"Come on Aozaki, I'm not that bad am I?"

"Idiot, don't call me Aozaki here. Call me President when we're at a school." She replied in a scolding tone. "And yes, you are that bad. Need I remind you of that one time I had to save your butt?"

"Ugh..."

Shirou groaned again, unable to find a proper response to that. How could he have known what was going on back then? He just reacted by instinct when he did it, as Kiritsugu always told him that boys should always try their best to protect girls.

When he told her that, Aozaki kicked him in the shin for such a sexist belief. He learned his lesson then, that girls could easily kick ass and protect themselves if they wanted to. And her actions from then on only served to remind him of the fact.

Speaking of which, it was also because of said event that the two of them became formally acquainted with each other in the friendlier sense. The two of them had known each other for a while, but it was only at that point that she acted more personal with him. Such as with the way they were talking right now.

"You two are surprisingly familiar with each other..."

Issei commented with narrowed eyes, adjusting his glasses as the other two both turned their attention towards the black-haired youth.

"I suspect something amiss. Did anything happen between you two?" He asked.

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"It says a lot when the normally violent and stand-offish Aozaki Aoko is on amicable terms with Emiya Shirou of all people." Issei explained as he stood up. "And the two of you were never like this before, so there must be something going on. It was bad enough with Tohsaka, but with her as well..."

"Aren't you just being a little paranoid?"

Shirou asked, feigning innocence. Though he felt a little bad about lying to his own friend, he knew that said incident between him and Aozaki could never be revealed to the normal people due to special circumstances. His parents had taught him as such.

"You just say whatever's on your mind don't you?"

Aoko questioned her Vice-President in annoyance, having half a mind to introduce him to her fist now. Honestly, what did Ryuudou think she was? Some sort of cultist bent on bringing about Armageddon on non-believers? With the way he acted around her or Rin, she wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case.

Still, when compared to the other students that froze up in fear of her whenever she was around, Issei had enough of a spine to let her know his exact thoughts of her. At the very least she would respect him for that. Even if some of his commentary was rather annoying to the brunette.

"Hmph, I won't have it!" Issei suddenly declared as he pulled Shirou by the arm. "Hands off my friend you demon woman, I will not let such an upstanding young man be corrupted by the likes of you!"

"Oh now you're just _begging_ to be hit."

...!

"Gagh!"

"Issei..."

Shirou sighed. Honestly, Issei was probably just exaggerating at this point. That said, Issei should have known better than to provoke the brunette. Yet despite this he continued to do so. Sometimes Shirou wondered to himself if his friend was secretly a masochist for doing such things.

"President."

A voice called out, causing the trio to look towards the source. They saw another brown-haired girl walking towards them.

"Ah, Hakuno." The former brunette smiled and walked over to the shorter girl. "Did you do what I asked?"

Kishinami Hakuno, age fifteen and a classmate of Shirou in Class 1-C and a personal acquaintance of Aoko. When compared to someone like the latter, she was rather plain looking but was cute all the same. Not only that, but she was quite a helpful person much like himself. That said, she was a somewhat quiet girl unless spoken to, in which she could be quite chatty. Shirou knew that from firsthand experience.

"Yes, Fujimura-sensei agreed to it."

"Sorry for the trouble then, I forgot to tell her about the new budgeting plan for the Archery Club."

"It's no big deal, I was happy to help." Hakuno smiled and replied.

"Hmph! You would lecture about involving Emiya in student council matters when you do the same with Kishinami?" Issei began.

"Want me to plant my foot onto your face?" Aoko stated with a sweet smile.

While the two began arguing, Hakuno felt someone staring at her and turned her attention towards the redhead. Who in turn jerked slightly in surprise once he saw her gaze as he realized that he had once again been caught staring.

"Emiya-kun." She greeted with a nod and smiled. "You're staring again."

"H-Huh? Ah, sorry about that Kishinami."

"Hehe, idiot."

It was always like this whenever the two were together. There was something about Hakuno that Shirou couldn't exactly make out. As a result, it always ended up with him staring at her for periods of time before she would notice him and cause him to stop. It got to the point that it was a natural occurrence for the two and for Hakuno to tease him about it whenever she got the chance.

...!

"Augh!"

Hakuno suddenly placed a hand on her forehead as she felt a headache come on. Noticing this, Shirou called out to her.

"You alright? It's happening again isn't it?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded as the pain subsided. "But don't worry, it's nothing really."

So she says, causing Shirou to frown slightly. For as long as he knew her, Hakuno had experienced brief headaches every once in a while. While she wasn't sickly or anything, it did worry him that his friend was experiencing such things to begin with.

"By the way, did you hear?" She suddenly began.

"Hear about what?"

"A few days ago, there was an incident that happened in the Saitama Prefecture." Hakuno explained.

"You mean the explosion that occurred there?"

Shirou had heard about the incident. Apparently, out of nowhere, an explosion suddenly occurred in the forests of Saitama. Thankfully, there were no people around when it happened. Officials say that it was the result of a gas leak or something while others say that it was the result of a military or perhaps terrorist bomb going off. Though in all honesty, no one really knew what happened then.

"Strange thing don't you think? What do you think happened there?"

"Who knows? I'm only hoping that nothing like that happens here in Fuyuki." He replied before suddenly remembering the time. "Crap, I gotta get going! I have to pick up my sisters later!"

"Oh, then alright." Hakuno said, smiling as she waved her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow I suppose."

"Sure, and sorry Issei gotta run!"

"Wait, don't just leave me with this demon woman-Agh!"

"Who are you calling a demon woman!?"

Watching Shirou's back as he left, Hakuno smile slowly faded as the image of the redhead's back grew smaller and smaller as he ran off.

She then sighed to herself. It's been nearly a year now, she thinks? A year had nearly passed since the two of them fist became classmates. And throughout all that time, one thing was now quite clear to her.

"So he still can't remember yet..."

Muttering those words while smiling sadly, the girl walked away as she decided to head home.

As soon as she got outside, she looked towards the sky, she could see faintly see that the moon was out earlier than usual.

How strange it was to see it in the dusk sky, yet it was somewhat beautiful as well...

...Just like the one during that one night.

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

Hey there everyone! **_Fate/Magnus Bellum_** is now officially one year old. I feel like an old man XD

Anyway, I came down with a fever a little while ago and just recovered from it. As a result of said fever, I wasn't able to put in other gags that I would have liked to have added, such as a scenario where both Child-Gilgamesh and Young-Alexander are summoned together instead of their older counterparts, and thus this chapter is a bit short as a result. I also lost my muse to write and I had to ask someone else to write the Magical Girl Jeanne scene for me. It was none other than **_ForteOfTheBallad98_** _._ He's the one responsible for writing it. Again, you rock man! XD

Next time though, I'll probably be able to pitch in my own work such as the one I mentioned above. While omakes aren't really my thing, I've been wanting to write one of my own thanks to **_Welt Ende_** asking me if I'd ever write some for FMB. While I said initially said no, mostly because I'd rather write for the story itself, I'm finding myself inclined to take back what I said.

The last part is a preview of my idea for a future fanfic regarding Shirou, Female-Hakuno, and Aoko. And it's mostly the reason why I wanted to post this Extra Chapter so that I might get some thoughts from you guys. Just like how it was with my original preview for FMB, it's just an idea and nothing concrete yet. Hence why it may seem like a jumble at the moment and nothing really important happens aside from them interacting.

Should it ever come to me writing it, expect continuity nods in regards to FMB since I'll be placing it within the same verse. And I can't really answer any serious questions about it either since I'm still sorting out the ideas for it inside my head. Generic stuff I might be able to however.

* * *

 ** _As for the Guest Reviewers:_**

 ** _Cain:_** Thank you for the greeting XD And calling me the former is rather insulting. Mostly because it really doesn't apply to me since I'm more of the latter type since the former are kinda like mood swingers. And whenever I call someone an idiot or say something harsh, I generally mean it 100% without any hidden meanings unless I'm being sarcastic. At the same time however, I like to be polite and avoid any conflict with people which is why I tend to apologize for any rudeness or insults that I cannot help but say.

But there also times that I will not apologize for something such as what I'm about to do below regarding your second statement.

For God's sake I don't care why you call Alaya a bitch. I just find the idea of calling an immaterial force by such a thing to be ridiculous really. And EMIYA never complains in canon the way many fanfics have him do about Alaya. So using that as a reference is even more ridiculous, especially when EMIYA blames his own foolishness more. And why are you even bringing this up again? I said **_never mind_** in that reply to you during CH17. That generally means "I don't give a damn anymore" when a person says it.

This is me being nice. Wanna see what I'll say when I'm pissed off? XD Just kidding. Honestly though, why bring this up? Don't answer this.

* * *

Anyway, that's it for now. Please review everyone :D


	24. Act II-23: Army of the King

**_AN:_** And here's CH23. Hope you all like it :D

 ** _Update (10/16/2016):_** I just realized that the part with Medea and Arthur wasn't what it was supposed to be. I actually wrote two versions of that scene, with the older one being used when instead it should have been the newer one but I didn't see it soon enough. So yeah, fixed it up just now.

* * *

 ** _Chapter 23:_**

 ** _Army of the King_**

* * *

"Hah!"

Two heroes cried out as their fists collided with one another, the force from which created a shockwave that could be felt a great distance away.

Achilles smirked to himself as was being pushed back, his opponent's strike packing more power than what his slim appearance would imply. That attack just now actually made him cringe in pain!

...!

The two then traded several more blows between their fists, feet, and spears. To the normal onlooker, it would've liked they were striking air with the occasional explosive force as a result of their clash.

...!

Achilles grinned wildly. Karna's assault was relentless. Truly, he was a hero who had earned his place as a Heroic Spirit. It was a damn shame that the two of them hadn't met each other when they were alive. If they had, they needn't bothered with all the restrictions placed on them as Servants.

Had it been the case, Achilles wondered to himself how much more powerful his opponent would have been. As annoying as it was, he could tell that despite fighting harder than last time, his opponent was still holding back on him. If he wasn't so entertained, he might have felt insulted by it.

Speaking of which, there was his other opponent to think about as well...

...!

Dodging an arrow aimed at his heel, the Adamant Hero smirked at the golden-haired huntress off into the distance. He couldn't help but be impressed with her aim. Several times now he had to dodge arrows aimed at his weakness. Achilles knew that if not for his invulnerability aside from his heel, then perhaps the Chaste Huntress would've already made her mark on him by now.

Having both good looks and martial prowess, now that was his type of woman!

Sadly, they were enemies at the moment. So there wasn't much time to talk. Though, there was a chance of that happening as well.

With what limited knowledge he had about the Rogue Servants, it was that so long as the Class-Card things serving as their cores were left intact, then it was possible to summon the same Servant again as many times as possible.

In other words, even if he killed her here, he could possibly get a chance to know her later if any of the Masters decided to make use of her card. The though just brought smile to his face. He had always wanted to a chance to meet and work together with the Chaste Huntress.

...!

Achilles instinctively ducked as Karna had thrust his spear forward, narrowly striking him in the head.

 _'Wait, I should probably be focusing on the fight first.'_

He thought, spinning around as he directed a strong kick to his opponent's stomach, pushing Karna back.

Between worrying about his foe right in front of him and the one in the distance, Achilles was having the time of his life. But he wasn't stupid and knew that he needed to keep a clear head and make sure his guard was up. Chiron had taught him as much, and he would never let up on him if he knew that he was allowing himself to be distracted.

The thought of his old mentor caused the Adamant Hero to smirk somewhat as a result.

 _'You watching Chiron...? I'll make sure to avenge you!'_

Thinking that, Achilles grinned wildly as he continued his battle with Karna.

...!

Karna couldn't help but continue smiling throughout their battle himself. He felt his respect for his opponent grow more and more for the Adamant Hero as they fought. He was matching him blow per blow, a feat that not many could do.

He couldn't afford to be careless however. As much as he enjoyed their battle, Karna knew that he needed to take care of Achilles. Right now, he was merely waiting for the right time to use his Noble Phantasm against him.

However, there was a problem.

His main concern about his opponent was the shield that he wielded. Twice now it was able to block out Brahmastra completely, an act which he would've believed impossible considering the amount of destructive power it held. Especially since the first time he had delivered the attack at a near point-blank range.

 _'There's no doubting that it's a Noble Phantasm...'_

The question right now however was whether or not it had a limit. From what he'd seen, it didn't. But it looked like there was a limit in that it could only protect whomever stood behind the shield. If so, then may have to find a way to strike from the back before his opponent could react in time. It was that, or he could try to separate Achilles from it. Neither of which would have been an easy task given his opponent's speed and skill.

...!

"Damn it all, just what manner of warrior is he...?!"

Atalanta cursed to herself as she continued providing support to Lancer as he fought against Achilles. Despite it being a two on one battle, the latter was still capable of holding the two of them off at the same time. Having come from the same lands, she knew that Achilles was a great hero. Yet it never occurred to her that he'd be capable of fending two Servants at once.

It didn't help that her arrows nigh-useless against him, and that the only spot where she could hit him was his heel of all places. Making for a very difficult target. Even she would admit that trying to hit such a thing was quite the challenge, especially given that Achilles was quite fast in his own right. Dare she say it, he might even beat her in a footrace if such a thing ever occurred between the two.

Still, she could tell that Lancer was providing a great enough challenge that not even the Adamant Hero could easily overcome the white-haired demigod. And by constantly shooting at him, the green-haired warrior was being kept at bay.

 _'Should I use it here...?'_

The golden-haired huntress thought to herself. She considered using her _other_ Noble Phantasm to help give them an edge in this battle. Though she disliked using it, the Chaste Huntress believed that the boost she would gain as a result of using it would definitely help them in the long run.

There was only one problem with it. And that was that she would become prone to falling into a more feral nature. One in which she was unsure of her ability to control and likely to attack either friend or foe. Perhaps she could have qualified for a Berserker when using it.

...

...

 _'No, not right now. It's not yet the proper time...'_

After some short deliberating, Atalanta decided not to. If she were to use it, then she should save it for when it mattered. Instead, she continue focusing on her current task of supporting Lancer. They needed to take down Achilles soon, other wise Lancer might exhaust himself.

...!

An explosion in the air quickly caught the attention of the three.

"Look out below!"

"...! Rider!?"

Turning their gazes, they all saw Rider of Red falling out from the sky with all three Masters in each of his arms. With an audible thud, he landed safely on the ground.

"Heh, now that was a close call..."

Iskander muttered to himself, cursing his own luck as he had just lost his chariot.

"Sorry about that, it's because we were with you that..." Waver began.

"Don't be." The King of Conquerors replied with a smile. "I made my choice to partake in that battle. The onus is mine to bear alone."

The aerial battle was quite enjoyable in itself, never before had he experienced his blood pumping as fast as it did. Once this entire mess was sorted out, he really should consider outfitting himself and his men with what Saber of Red's master called jet fighters, much like the one the Black Knight had used during their last battle.

"What do we do know?" Aya asked worriedly as she saw that they were now being surrounded by enemy forces.

"Damn it, you all aright?!"

Achilles went up to the group, never taking his eyes off either Karna or Atalanta, as he took up a defensive position. He took a moment to gaze towards his Master, sighing in relief once he saw that Gray was alright.

"We got ourselves shot down by Assassin." Iskander muttered in annoyance as he rubbed his neck. "And I really enjoying my battle with that guy too."

"That guy?"

...!

The cry of a horse caught Achilles' attention. Soon enough, a white horse with wings on its sides landed between his two opponents. A man with wavy red-violet hair sitting atop it with a rather serene expression on his Adamant Hero immediately knew who he was. While he didn't have any special abilities like Ruler that allowed him to know the identity of Servants, as a hero of Greece, it was instinct for him to be able to identify fellow heroes from the same lands.

And even before then. As a former pupil of Chiron, it was instinct for him to recognize his fellow student...

"Perseus... I didn't know you were here too..."

Achilles began, his mouth slowly forming into a smile as he gazed at his fellow student. He had seen him do battle with the others before twice now, but this was the first time he had seen him up close. He looked rather lanky to say the least about him.

"Is that so? The same cannot be said for me."

The others remained quiet as the two spoke with each other, sensing the rather extreme hostility coming from Achilles onto Perseus. Not even Assassin, as numerous and pragmatic as they were, were willing to make a move that might upset the two Greek heroes. Perseus subtly motioning them to stand down for now only ensured it.

"What, you saying you were trying to avoid me then?"

"Of course. Considering the stunt you pulled with Hector, I'd felt it wise to avoid coming into contact with you."

"Heh, you just had to remind me of that."

Achilles laughed for a moment before he gazed hard at the Gorgon-Slayer.

"So then, I heard that you were the one who killed Chiron."

"I was." Perseus confirmed with closed eyes and a nod. "It was an act that brought me no joy, but I did what I must as he was an enemy."

"Couldn't even fight him fairly? I heard that your people used poison blades against him and ganged up on him with Assassin."

"Of course, I couldn't take any chances with him after all." The former said, gesturing to his right arm for a moment. "I take it that you're not pleased?"

"Bastard... what are you playing at?"

Achilles asked, his gaze turning into a glare. He would've at least been fine with the fact that Perseus prided in himself being able to kill of Chiron, or perhaps showed regret that it had to come down to it. Perhaps both really. So long as he showed some semblance of emotion, he would've perhaps been alright with what happened.

But, as Perseus spoke, he couldn't feel anything. Every word spoken from his mouth felt empty, there was no depth to them. Achilles could tell that he was speaking sincerely, but it lacked the subtleties of emotion that were there whenever people spoke.

It was like he was empty...

 _'Chiron was killed by a bastard like this...?'_

He could feel anger rising in his veins. Of course he would feel this way, why wouldn't he?

"That's it, I'm going to kill you now."

Achilles stated, getting into a fighting stance. Atalanta then raised her bow, speaking to the former.

"Don't even try it, you're outnumbered as it is."

"Don't worry, I'll deal with you later beautiful." He winked and smiled at the Chaste Huntress much to her disgust. "Right now, I'm really going to focus everything into killing this bastard right in front of me."

"Bastard...!" How dare he treat her like some sort of common damsel!

"And what of me?"

Karna asked, stepping forward as he readied himself as well. Thanks to his rage, Achilles had nearly forgotten about his other foe as well.

"Fine with me, the more the merrier I say."

Waver felt dread at this. While Achilles was amazing enough to have been able to fend off both Lancer and Archer at the same time, adding a third Servant into the mix would most definitely lead to his defeat.

Not only that, he was also the only one aside from Aya's Lancer who could perhaps stand against the white-haired demigod. And the latter was currently busy elsewhere in the Mirror World dealing with the other Archer. There was also the matter of Assassin of Black having surrounded them all over. He could tell that they were likely thinking that they had already won. They weren't even bothering with concealing themselves anymore.

 _"Lancer, where are you?"_

Aya called out, telepathically communicating with her Servant. Hoping that he would respond.

 _"I'm a little busy right now, did something happen!?"_

She sighed in relief once she heard his voice. Judging from the way Lancer spoke, it seemed like he was alright. A fact that she relayed to Waver who nodded in response.

 _"Rider's just lost his chariot, and now we're surrounded by Lancer, Archer, and Assassin."_

 _"Damn it, I'm too far away to get to you in time. You think you all could hold out?"_

 _"I don't think so, but I could use a Command Spell to bring you here..."_

The young blonde replied, holding her hand closely to her chest. If she used it now, then the chances of them surviving went up. Perhaps she really should-

A hand on her shoulder interrupted Aya's thoughts. Looking towards the source, she saw that it was Waver who had done so.

"Not now, we're not done yet."

He said, having realized as to what the blonde must've been thinking about. Though he thought the same thing, Lancer was currently doing alright according to the blonde's words. If that was the case, then they needn't bother him right now. Not when he was keeping the other Archer and the rest of the Assassins of their back.

And after all, they still had one more card left to play...

"Rider."

"I know boy, just leave it to me"

The Master Servant duo communicated with each other, the latter of the pairing grinning wildly as he was now given permission to use _that_.

Stepping forward, the King of Conquerors spoke.

"Come now Lancer, no need to be so brash as to take on three Servants by yourself."

"What, you wanna join in Rider?" Achilles asked with a slight grin. "Your choice, but I doubt that you'll be able to keep up with us if you do."

"Hahaha! You don't beat around the bush do you?" The red-haired Servant simply laughed in response, amused by his comrade's statement. "Alas, as entertaining as that would be, that's not what I'm saying at all."

"Then why do you step forward Rider? With your chariot gone, you've now lost your advantage in this war."

Atalanta asked, aiming her bow towards the former knowing that when compared to Lancer he and their Masters were the easier targets to hit.

"True, but whoever said that my chariot was the only card I had to play?" Iskander asked, grinning at the Chaste Huntress.

"What was that...?"

She said, her grip on her bow tightening itself. Was he serious just now or was he bluffing?

No, the smile on his face said otherwise. He truly was serious.

"So what you're saying is that you have another Noble Phantasm then?"

Perseus spoke up. He suspected as much, it was foolish to assume that his opponent only had that one chariot to use in combat.

"Of course, I've been saving it up for a very special occasion. I wanted to show it to Saber and Archer, and to this King of Kings character that the King of Knights had spoken about as we traveled to this city. I suppose I should make an exception now considering the situation at hand."

He explained, causing several of the Assassins to start laughing in response.

"Hahaha! Don't be so foolish Rider, you and your lot are completely surrounded!"

"The King of Fools is more suited for him!"

They all mocked. Atalanta merely frowned at this, feeling that such behavior was unbecoming of a warrior and Heroic Spirit. That wasn't even getting into the fact that they were being overly arrogant despite having not yet seen Rider's secret trump card.

"Is that so? Perhaps I should all show you then!"

...!

Everyone braced themselves as a strong wind appeared out of nowhere, with Waver standing in front of and holding onto both Gray and Aya.

"Lord El-Melloi, what's going on...!?" The latter asked.

"Don't worry, it's nothing to worry about!"

That response puzzled Aya for a moment, before she and the others all realized that the strong winds were coming from none other than Rider of Red himself. The large man was now standing in the middle between them and their enemies.

"T-This is...!?"

Atalanta muttered to herself in shock and crossed her arms together in front of her face. What pressure! Looking towards her allies, she saw that the only one not at all bothered by what was happening was Lancer himself.

Instead of doing something, the latter was merely waiting for Rider to make his move. Curious as to what exactly he was trying to do.

"Now then, I have bore witness to all of your Noble Phantasms my friends. Such magnificent treasures they all are. Compared to my chariot, I feel rather overwhelmed. As such, allow me to return the favor by showing my strongest and most prized possession!"

...!

With that, a swirl of light emanated from Iskander, engulfing everyone within range.

For a good few moments, everything went silent for Aya. She couldn't see or feel anything either, the ground having disappeared as well. For a moment, she felt like she was floating in air. She held on tightly to Waver, fearing for the worst.

But it never came. Soon enough, she felt her feet touching the surface once again.

Although, it felt off for some reason...

"Huh? This is...?"

Opening her eyes, the young blonde was surprised to see-

"Sand...?"

Gray said before her, just as equally surprised as the blonde as she took in their surroundings. The city had disappeared, now replaced by a desert of sand as far as the eye could see. The blackened sky now replaced by the morning blue one, the sun shining brightly down upon them. Their group and the Rogue Servants were also placed a distance away from one another.

What was this...? They were in the city just now weren't they? Just what kind of method could have...

Ah, it couldn't be could it...!?

"This is... a Reality Marble!"

Gray stated in shock and realization as she looked towards Waver for confirmation, the latter of which only silently nodded at his apprentice's deduction.

"A Reality Marble...?"

Aya muttered in confusion, and saw that the Rogue Servants themselves were in a state of disbelief as well given how they were all looking around as well.

"Rider, this world is..."

Karna began, calling out to the King of Conquerors having realized for himself just what exactly he had done.

"Exactly. This realm is an illusion much like that Mirror World of yours, created from a memory of a time that has now since passed. So long ago, my soldiers once marched across these lands... ever moving forward with me in my conquest."

...!

While saying this, a sound echoed out through the distance causing everyone but Iskander to turn their attention towards the source.

It was too distant to properly make out what exactly it was. However, in the case of the Servants and especially Atalanta due to her ears, the latter group were all able to identify as to what exactly the sounds were.

They were the sounds of soldiers making their march...

"I-Impossible...!" The Chaste Huntress muttered to herself.

"Not impossible!"

Iskander exclaimed in response, a grin on his face as slowly they all came into view in the horizon as they came up from behind their group.

His army...

"In life or in death, as humans or as Heroic Spirits, they still pledge their loyalty to me!"

Soon they all came to a stop not too far away from their group. Men and women, people of different races, cultures, and beliefs...

"Wherever I may be, on whatever battlefield I find myself on, they shall always be there to stand by my side. And that is my greatest treasure! A bond so strong that it can even transcend the world itself, one that can equal any gift from the gods!"

All of them stood ready awaiting their King's command... All of them ready to continue their journey with him once more.

"This world is that bond manifested, and it's my greatest Noble Phantasm I, Iskander, posses...!"

Iskander spread out his arms, his face forming the largest grin it could manage.

 ** _"IONIOI HETAIROI!"_**

He declared with a booming voice, resulting in a resounding cry coming from the army. All of them cheering at their King's words.

Everyone but Waver, who was grinning instead, could only watch on in stunned silence. Every single one of them... they were all Servants! Just what kind of madness could allow such a thing like this to manifest!?

"Well, shit..."

Achilles whistled in awe, still unable to believe what was happening himself. He disliked kings and royalty in general, believing that they were above others, and he had once thought Saber, Archer, and Rider to be just like that as well. Though recent events made him rethink his stance on all three.

Right now though, he might need to rethink his stance on Rider once again.

Something like this, being able to summon an army of Servants who were all loyal to him... he had no words to describe it.

"I see, now I understand..."

Atalanta began, muttering to herself once more.

The other night, during the last battle between their groups in Trifas, she had noticed that there was another Servant alongside Rider as he flew in the skies alongside Berserker and Rider of Black to deal with their forces. She had wondered just what exactly that was about.

This must've been the cause of it... and now they were completely outnumbered!

While she thought this, a large black horse then came up beside Iskander.

"It's been a while hasn't it Bucephalus?"

He greeted, gently giving the horse a stroke as he got onto it.

Yes, this felt right. As much as he liked his chariot and how it allowed him to fly, riding Bucephalus was even better. It had been his steed since he was a young boy, and he wouldn't trade him for any other horse in the world. He was as much a friend and companion to Iskander as his soldiers.

"Now then," Iskander began. "Tell me Lancer, Archer, Rider; will you join this fellowship or oppose me and my comrades?"

Iskander asked, much to the surprise of the Rogue Servants. Was he seriously saying that?

"You're all such shining stars, I find it would be a terrible waste for you all to die here. I offer you this last chance. Join us, or our blades shall meet one another."

He declared. The others noted that while saying this, Rider had left out Assassin of Black. He must not think much of them if that was the case.

Atalanta gritted her teeth at this. What should they do? Right now, she couldn't see any way for them to win like this. Should they retreat? Would Assassin of Red's talismans even work in a world like this? Damn it all, they truly had underestimated the power of Rider!

"I see... so you would think that having an army on your side gives you the advantage?"

"Lancer...?"

The Chaste Huntress called out in surprise as he saw her comrade taking a few steps forward in front of them.

"Regardless of whether you bring a thousand or a hundred thousand heroes, it matters not..."

He said, stretching out his hand as the golden spear he wielded was suddenly engulfed completely in flames.

It was for a brief moment however. As soon enough the flames died out, revealing the weapon in the white-haired demigod's hands.

The golden spear he had wielded was now replaced with an incredibly large one, enough that Aya questioned on how the former could even wield it. The blade, or what appeared to be it anyway, was as black as the night sky. It soon began glowing red however, as Karna soon took a fighting stance.

"My loyalty belongs only to my Master, and he demands that I bring to him your heads."

Karna declared, stating his intent to fight on despite the odds much to everyone's surprise.

Iskander couldn't help but be impressed by this. But then again, considering who Lancer was, perhaps he believed that his army wouldn't have been enough of a challenge. He felt somewhat insulted at this, but at the same time understood.

"Very well then, and I suppose the same goes for you two as well." Iskander said, gazing at both Greek heroes for a moment and saw the look in their eyes. "If that's the case, then it all comes down to this."

He then stated, drawing out his sword as he called out to his army.

"Annihilate them!"

The King of Conquerors exclaimed, causing a resounding cry from his army as they all charged ahead.

"Heh, don't leave me out of this!"

Achilles said, grinning wildly as he charged alongside the army.

Fearing for their lives, the numerous Assassins ran off, hoping to outrun the army. Atalanta clicked her tongue in distaste, her evaluation of Assassin worsening as a result of their attempt to flee. Didn't they know that it was futile to run?

"Rider, Archer,"

Hearing Lancer call out to both her and Perseus, she turned her gaze towards him.

"Take to the skies. With your Noble Phantasms, the two of you together should be able to do some decent damage to this army. And Rider's mount will make you a hard target to hit as well. I will keep them busy on the ground."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Atalanta asked.

"You and I both know that he has a point." Perseus commented. "Between the three of us, Lancer's the only one strong enough to take on Rider's army head on. Come, we shall support him from the skies."

He said, stretching out his hand towards the Chaste Huntress for her to take.

After a brief moment, she did, getting on Pegasus. This was her first time riding such a magnificent creature, having heard tales about it now and again. Perhaps she would have been honored for the opportunity if not for the current situation.

Looking towards Lancer, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Lancer... don't die."

"And the same to you."

With that, the two heroes flew off into the sky leaving Karna by himself. Silently gazing at his two comrades, he then turned his attention towards the army charging towards him. One thought went through his mind as they came closer and closer...

Perhaps this was going to be fun...

"Ready for round three!?"

Achilles exclaimed, having closed the gap between the two of them, his fist cocked back.

For now, Perseus could wait. There was no way for the Adamant Hero to reach him at the moment even if he wanted to.

Right now though, he had a much more entertaining prize in front of him...

"Heh."

Karna responded by doing the same, cocking back his own fist as well.

...!

An explosion of air rang out as their fists collided.

* * *

"Ugh, that was undignified..."

"Oh, already awake Saber?"

Medea greeted the King of Knights, who himself groggily entered the greenhouse with a hand over his head.

"Greetings Caster, I see that you've both already started..."

Arthur stated, his gaze falling upon Jeanne, who from the looks of it decided to switch out her casual outfit for her regular Servant attire, as she knelt in the middle of a magic circle with her eyes closed and both hands held together in front of her. To be precise, she looked like she was praying.

He couldn't help but note how serene she looked, surrounded by the ethereal light emanating from the circle.

"How do you feel? I take it that Archer's special brew didn't leave any lasting effects?"

The blue-haired woman said, smirking somewhat at the expense of the blonde as Arthur groaned. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to go away anytime soon, he just hoped that Mordred wouldn't find out about it. That was the last thing he needed.

 _Hahaha! How lame! The O respectable King of Knights, admired and feared by many, downed by a mere drink! This is too priceless! Ahahahaha!_

Arthur could honestly see her reacting like that. If she did, he'd have no words to say.

"Aside from the mild headache I have, none. It shall pass." He shook his head and replied, crossing his arms as he once again allowed his gaze to fall upon his Master. "So then, did your idea succeed as we had hoped?"

"It has, though we have yet to detect anything so far." The Servant of Magic stated before pausing. "Well, aside from Rider and his Master of course. The other teams we're trying to locate for now to see how far Ruler's reach can extend."

"Speaking of Rider, how are he and Sieg doing? They haven't run into any trouble have they?"

"Nothing of the sort, though Sieg at times loses control of his powers and they are forced to take small breaks."

"Wait, what?"

"Calm yourself, I merely meant that Sieg loses his focus when it's needed. Considering his new abilities, it's not surprising that he's trying to adjust to them." She explained as the former relaxed somewhat. "Also, I might ask that you spar with Sieg in the future. However little it may be, he'll need practice on using his powers in actual battle. And it would do us good to see how well he can now fare against a Servant with his abilities."

"I'll be glad to help." Arthur nodded in agreement.

"My thanks then."

Medea said, turning her gaze towards the young saint at that moment, memories of the sight from earlier coming back to her. The blue-haired woman smiled to herself, perhaps she could have some fun with Saber regarding it? She was curious to see how he would react-

...!

"...!?"

She yelped somewhat in surprise when she felt her hood being pulled down all of a sudden. She turned around and saw that Saber had been the one responsible.

Unamused by his actions, she turned around and faced him directly.

"What do you think you're doing?" The blue-haired woman demanded.

"Nothing really, it's just that I feel you putting up that hood in broad daylight is a tad ominous. I suppose couldn't help but to take it off..."

Arthur replied, trailing off as he stared at Caster with a blank look in his eyes. This is what she really looked like underneath that hood? It was rather unexpected to say the least. Then again, considering who she was, perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised. Medea was often credited as being beautiful after all.

"It's rude to stare."

"Ah, my apologies." He held up his hands. "I didn't mean to offend, I was just taken aback by how beautiful you were I suppose."

"Hoh? Are you trying to flirt with me Saber?"

Medea smirked as she crossed her arms. Saber wasn't the first man to compliment her on her beauty, and probably would never be the last. It was something she was quite used to at this point. A thought a came to her mind that caused her smirk to widen, and then she continued.

"Flattered as I may be, Ruler might not take kindly to that."

Said young saint flinched for a moment but neither had noticed. Opening an eye, Jeanne silently gazed at the two from where she was.

"It wasn't anything of the sort." Arthur replied, having completely missed the former's intentions causing her to somewhat falter. "But I do think it's a waste for you to always have that hood up. Might I ask why?"

"None of your concern, it's my choice. Why would I want it any other way?" She simply stated.

"Well to start, I suppose it would help ease your relations with the others." Arthur replied once more. "Apologies, I know that this is rather intrusive for a knight, but the way you speak and present yourself tells me of a woman who's trying to keep others away from her. I've even asked Rider of Black of this earlier, and he said that while you can be friendly you can be somewhat distant."

"It's nothing of the sort, it's simply a matter of status." Medea stated in response. "Regardless of what my relations are like with them, they're temporary allies at best. I simply see no point in trying to befriend any of them if that's the case."

She huffed and crossed her arms. Should circumstance allow it, the Holy Grail War could very well continue on after dealing with their enemies. She knew that it was unlikely given recent revelations about the grail, but there was still a chance of it. Which meant back to business for her and the others should it ever pass. There was no point in trying befriend any of them if that was the case.

Though truth be told, that was only half the reason. The other being that the idea of interacting more with her allies didn't really come to mind much. Aside from perhaps Saber of Red, whom she found rather cute despite her temperament, she wasn't really keen on getting to know the Red Servants to begin with. She saw enough of both Archer and Lancer of Red to know the type of people they were.

As for Rider of Red. He may have been friendly but she wasn't really fond of how overly muscular he was, his physique reminded her a little too much of a certain _other_ muscular idiot she knew... said person being one of their opponents in the war as a member of the second strongest Servant-Class.

"True, but they're allies regardless. Considering the current situation, the stronger our bonds with each other, the higher the chances we'll succeed in our task."

"You're the type to believe in such a thing Saber?"

Medea asked, somewhat in disbelief at the words of the King of Knights. Then again, with a title like that and the character he had shown until now, perhaps she should have expected him to believe in such a juvenile concept.

"Perhaps. What I do know is that stronger bonds often result in better teamwork between people." Arthur replied with a knowing smile, hinting to the witch that he knew what she was thinking just now. "However, I'm not forcing you Caster. I am simply suggesting it."

"So you say, but I somehow get the feeling that you mean otherwise." Medea replied, sighing somewhat to herself. "Very well then, at the very least I shall consider your words for now. I highly doubt that you would leave the matter be if I don't."

"I'm glad to hear it then." Arthur nodded as a thought came to mind. "Though I would suggest on avoiding Archer of Red."

Said statement merely resulted in the blue-haired woman to smirk in response, a brief giggle.

Smiling to herself, Jeanne closed her eye and went back to focusing her attention at the task at hand.

...!

"Ah, what is this?"

Jeanne cried out, opening her eyes wide and catching the attention of the other two as they gazed in her alert.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"It's Rider of Red and the others... I can't seem to detect their location!"

"What!?"

Both voiced in surprise as the young saint went stood up and went over to a map that was placed on a table. It showed the entirety of Greater Tokyo Area, with the former's eyes scanning it before placing a finger on the eastern section of the map.

"Do you remember where they said they'd be investigating? One of Caster's familiars just now flew over the area where they said they would be, yet I cannot detect their presence at all."

"But how could that be? Unless-" Medea suggested.

"No, I don't believe that to be the case." Jeanne replied, shaking her head at the former's words . "If they were in that much trouble, I believe Mr. Waver would try to contact us for aid. Something must've happened to them that prevents them from doing so. Either way, we must investigate now."

"Who do we send then?"

Arthur asked, resulting in the young saint crossing her arms and closing her eyes in thought for a moment.

Should she send Arthur? No, even with his riding skill combined with the motorcycle given to him by Sister Petresia he wouldn't be fast enough. Caster with her teleportation could however, but she was needed her in order to help maintain the defenses here at the estate...

Wait, there was a pair right now who could get there in time...

"I believe Rider and Sieg should suffice." Jeanne said, revealing her choice to the two. "Caster, could you please contact and inform them about the current situation?"

"I can, but are you sure it's wise?" Medea asked. "At the moment, Sieg is still in the middle of mastering his powers after all. He could prove to be a liability if-"

"I have faith that the two of them can pull through with this."

The young saint simply said, a smile on her face as she did so. It effectively caused the blue-haired woman to be at a loss for words. Curse it all, did she have to look so pure while saying that? She could feel that same urge inside her from before grow again at the sight of Ruler's smiling face.

"Very well, I'll do as you say then."

She replied, and Arthur suddenly felt a strange chill as he saw a faint blush on Caster's face. What was that just now? It seems as though Jeanne had failed to notice it however, judging from the way she simply smiled and nodded in appreciation.

Somehow, he felt a strange form danger approaching his Master in the future...

"Speaking of which," Jeanne began as she turned to look at Arthur. "Arthur, do you mind getting Archer to come and see me?"

"Hmm?" He mumbled, gazing at her in confusion.

"I want him to go check on Miss Fiore and Mr. Shishigou's team out in the western area. Something tells me that they might have run into some trouble themselves."

"Ah, I see."

Arthur nodded in understanding. Personally though, after what happened earlier, he wasn't exactly keen on seeing Archer so soon. And considering the latter's personality, he wasn't sure if he would even agree to doing it.

Still, if Jeanne was asking him to do it, he decided to comply to her request.

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on!"

...!

Leaping their way throughout the city, Lancer chased after Archer and several Assassins. Using his spear, he deflected any incoming projectiles aimed straight at him. Whether it be arrows or bullets, none of it mattered to the Hound of Chulainn.

"Oh for the love of, just stand still and let us hit you!"

Archer exclaimed as he shot numerous bolts at his target. Damn it all, the bastard was so damned fast that none of his attacks were even getting by his defenses. He might need to get in close if he wanted his bolts to do their magic, otherwise they might just continue to remain useless.

Thankfully, he had Assassin to back him up. Though useless in close combat, their numbers made them useful in barrage attacks, especially with the weapons procured for them by the boss. And through some magic enhancement, they became powerful enough that Lancer was forced to put up his guard when being assaulted.

...!

Leaping back just in time, the blue-haired spearsman avoided being blown away by a missile. At the same time, Robin smirked as he saw four Assassin's materialize right behind his opponent, all poised to strike him.

"Too slow!"

...!

Quickly turning around, Lancer swung his spear in a wide arc, slicing through one Assassin and using him to smack the rest into a nearby building. Damn, perhaps he should have known better than expect something more of Assassin. Presence Concealment was only good in combat situations if the user was fast enough to strike their opponent.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he motioned for two to stand beside him and soon unleashed a barrage bullets.

Avoiding the assault, Lancer slid himself under a truck. Using his spear, he then flipped it over and kicked it over to his opponents.

"Ah shit!"

...!

The group quickly moved out of the way as the vehicle smashed through the wall of a building. Using the distraction, Lancer began dispatching the Assassin personas nearest to him. None lasting even a second against the Hound of Chulainn.

...!

"Ack!"

Narrowly avoiding being clipped by his foe's spear, it cut through his his cape as he leaped away from Lancer.

"Tch, you're one persistent bastard I'll give you that!"

Archer stated, pulling out several grenades before throwing directly at the blue-haired spearsman.

"You'd think I'd fall for that!?"

The former exclaimed, swatting the small objects away before they all exploded. However, one of them was stun grenade. And soon enough, once it exploded Lancer's vision was completely engulfed in light.

"Agh!"

He covered his eyes to shield himself from the light. Seeing a chance, Archer cried out.

"Now!"

On cue several more Assassins appeared from the streets to the building windows and to their rooftops, all carrying a missile launchers. Wasting no time, they fired their arsenal at the blue-haired spearsman.

Explosions rang out as the missiles made impact with the surroundings, Lancer having dodged them just in time as he began evading the assault once more. Compared to those things that fired those small metal objects, he wasn't about to let himself be blown away by those things.

Screw it, to hell with this nonsense...!

"How about a taste of mine then!?"

Running towards them and spinning around in a circle, Lancer thrusted his spear forward launching a red beam of energy directed at his opponents.

...!

The resulting attack was a blast powerful enough that it reduced the surrounding area to rubble. The buildings were still standing but it looked like they were about to collapse with the damaged they've taken.

Lancer merely smirked in satisfaction at this. The move he used just now was something his teacher had taught him. He didn't think it would be something he'd get to use often since it was one best used when facing multiple opponents.

Having been reminded of the current situation however, he quickly refocused his attention on Archer and turned around to face him.

As soon as he did, the red-haired rogue had already disappeared from his sights.

 _'Tch, ran away during the chaos huh...?'_

It was one thing that Assassin was making use of their Presence Concealment to hide themselves, but it was another for an Archer to have a similar ability himself.

...!

Reacting on instinct, Lancer smashed several crossbow bolts aimed at his head.

 _'Already sniping me, where?'_

He thought, leaping into action as he went over towards the location of the attack source. It didn't matter if he couldn't see sense Archer, the fact that he was attacking meant that he was in physical form whenever he did. He just had to find him before he could launch more attacks.

Looking down however, he saw something that caught his eye.

"Hmm? That's..."

* * *

"Geez...!"

Beatrice muttered to herself, seated atop the ledge of a building overlooking the battlefield that was the city beneath her. From here, she could safely observe everything that was going on, most especially her own Servant who at the moment was taking on the Lancer-Class Servant stolen from them by the four-eyed Tohsaka bitch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!? Hurry up and kill him already!"

She exclaimed, though no one really heard her. Seriously, Lancer was just one Servant! Archer was teaming up with Assassin, so they should have had the advantage!

"Calm yourself Beatrice, shouting will do you no good."

The redhead merely clicked her tongue in response at this, turning her head around to see Angelica appearing in a flash of light right in behind her. The tall blonde had her arms crossed, her gaze never changing as she began observing the ongoing battle herself.

"Huh? And just what the hell are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to stay behind at the gardens?"

"New orders from Kotomine and Lord Julian." Angelica merely replied. "For now, I am to observe the situation with Tohsaka Ayaka's Lancer Servant. With both Rider and Lancer of Red temporarily out of the picture, this could be an opportunity for us."

"I don't know about that, those morons are getting their asses kicked." Beatrice scoffed, chewing on a candy bar as she and her comrade gazed down upon the battle once more. "By the way, if you're wondering where Caster is, he's off hiding somewhere watching the battle alone. That nutcase doesn't want to be interrupted."

"That much I already knew for myself." Angelica merely replied. "At any rate, would you contact Archer for me? I have something I need to talk to him about."

"Hmm? You have something in mind?"

"Just do as I say and you'll find out."

Normally, Beatrice would have been annoyed by how casually the former commanded her to do something. That was always one of the problems she had with the blonde, thinking she was so great that she felt like she could order her around whenever she wanted to.

Still, from the tone of her voice, she knew that Angelica had already planned something out. Whatever it was, it caught her attention. As such, the redhead decided to comply for now. Though she still thought of Angelica as a bitch who only had her giant melons going for her.

"Tch, alright already. But this better be good." Beatrice replied. _"Hey useless idiot!"_

 _"Huh? Geez, you really have to call me now of all times Master? I'm sort of busy here...!"_

 _"Quit your whining and listen up, Angelica says she has something cooked up!"_

 _"Really? Well then I'm all ears!"_

Gazing towards the blonde, Beatrice nodded her head to which Angelica understood as Archer having agreed to listen to the plan. It was a long shot, the risks being great for both her and Beatrice. But if they succeeded, then it would make the following battles much more easier.

"Alright then, listen well..."

* * *

"Now this is more like it~!"

Manaka said, plopping down upon the soft bed in front of her. After Caster's... dress up experiments on her, the fox woman finally got around to remodeling the cave they were staying in through the use of her magic into something more homely. At the moment, it currently resembled her old home. With the room she was staying being near identical to her old one as well.

She was also currently wearing a bathrobe, the story behind that being that once Caster finished with the remodeling, she immediately motioned for the two of them to take a bath together. Manaka felt a shiver go down her spine as the fox woman was rather... frisky. She found herself wondering if she shouldn't have brought her back. Next time, she'll be making sure to bathe by herself.

"Come on now Master, it's time to dry your hair~"

"Yes, yes."

The young blonde stated, deciding to comply with Caster as the latter sat behind her on the bed. As annoying as she was, it did feel nice to have someone pamper her like this. Though not as nice when her darling prince was the one doing it of course. No one could ever replace Saber.

"By the way, where did Lancer, Archer, and Assassin go...?"

After finally taking a moment to notice, Manaka realized that all three Servants had yet to return from what she had assumed was them simply going out on patrol. It had been hours since they left, so they should have already come back by now.

"Ara? Didn't I tell you earlier?" Tamamo spoke in surprise.

"Tell me what?"

"Lancer decided to go and pay a visit to Saber of Black, and both Archer and Assassin went out to try and stop her. From the looks of it, they haven't."

"What!? Why you didn't you tell me sooner!?" Manaka cried out in panicked disbelief before she began pouting in annoyance. "Really now, I thought they were just going to go out on a patrol or something. I already told them to not attack Saber's comrades. Why didn't they listen!?"

"Hah, it seems your dominion over isn't as strong as you believe it to be Potnia Theron."

Ramesses stated, materializing before the duo with a smirk on his face, his arms crossed, and slouching on a nearby chair.

"Rider." The blonde muttered before frowning at the Egyptian Pharaoh. "What have I told you about calling me by that name?"

"Heh, I speak only the truth Master. For your hold over me, the King of Kings, is quite something."

Ramesses began, his smirk growing as a sudden pressure could be felt within the room. Had Manaka been a normal person, it was likely that she would have died from the sensation alone. The room itself shook as the pressure grew, killing intent was emanating from the King of Kings, as he gazed at the young blonde and continued speaking.

"The hunger I feel right now for your head is quite astounding to say the least, never before have I yearned so much to see someone dead at my feet than with you. Yet despite this, my body behaves itself, preventing me from sating my desire. What else could you be called, for being able to control me to such a degree?"

"How about Master then~?"

Manaka asked with an innocent smile. Her reply merely caused the Egyptian Pharaoh to chuckle slightly. Such gall the girl had to mock him even while being threatened. Then again, considering what she was, perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised.

"Yes yes, we get it now!"

...!

"Ack!"

Going over to Ramesses, Tamamo materialized a paper fan in her hands and lightly smacked the Egyptian Pharaoh over the head with it. As result of it, the pressure and killing intent emanating from him quickly disappeared as well.

"I just managed to set this place up. Don't you dare try to break it just because you're mad at Master."

"Caster, you-!"

"Ara? Are you sure you could afford getting mad at me..."

She began, putting both hands together and directed a pleading look towards the King of Kings.

"Brother~?"

"...!"

The latter immediately settled down at this, a troubled look on his face that also spoke of joy however. Manaka merely smiled at this, Rider was a rather simple man to fall for such a thing. Immediately after she had re-summoned them, he had insisted on Caster calling him as such since they were both, in his words, aspects of the sun.

Caster was quick to take advantage of this, quickly revealing the weakness that the King of Kings possessed for the term. Somehow, her view of him dimmed...

"Now then, how about you go make yourself useful and go fetch Lancer and the others before they do something stupid."

"Hmph, why would I waste my time on something like that?" He huffed.

"Because you're the only one who hasn't actually done _anything_ yet."

Tamamo pointed out, causing the former to flinch somewhat since it was true. Between the six of them, Rider was the only one who basically had been sitting at the cave doing nothing. Even Berserker already had his moment to shine.

"True, I have indeed grown quite bored of this place." Ramesses recovered quickly and pondered to himself, a smirk growing on his face. "Perhaps I shall endeavor to do as you ask then Caster. However, do not mistake that I'm following your orders. I'm merely taking a suggestion is all."

"Ahaha~ If that's the case, then just think of it as doing a favor for your sister~" The fox woman said, smiling as she placed her arms around the former's neck. "That's alright, isn't it brother~?"

For a moment, there was nothing but mere silence. Seconds later however, Ramesses wordlessly turned into spirit form and left. Tamamo smiled to herself at this, knowing that the King of Kings had been completely convinced to do it.

"I can't believe that worked, who knew that Rider could be so simple?"

"Then let this be a lesson Master. All men are simple at heart, you just have to know which buttons to push to get them to act the way you want~"

Manaka merely shrugged at this. She remembered seeing the type of person that Rider was during the Third Holy Grail War. Back then, and to this day, he was a overwhelmingly powerful Servant. And he had a demeanor that matched said power quite well, to the point that despite being under her control for the most part, Rider still managed to retain his sense of self and memories. She couldn't help but respect him as a result.

To see him act the way he was now however... perhaps it was true when people say to never judge a book by its cover.

"Alright Master, time to get you into a fresh change of clothes~!"

"Ah...!"

Before she could even react, Caster already had a firm grasp on the young blonde. A glint in her golden eyes as she smiled down upon Manaka, one that sent chills down the latter's spine as looked at the pink-haired woman nervously.

"There's this one outfit that I've been dying to get you into. I think you'll like it, it has fox ears just like mine~!"

"NO! I'll dress myself this time!"

* * *

"SHIELDS!"

At their King's command, the loyal soldiers of Ionioi Hetairoi quickly positioned themselves into a secure formation. Their shields all raised above their heads as they prepared themselves for the coming onslaught.

...!

Thousands upon thousands of arrows began raining down upon them, trying to pierce through shielded formation that the army had taken up. Some broke through however, killing off hundreds of his men. Iskander could only look on grimly at the sight of this, looking up towards the source of the attack soon after.

"Hmph, they're tougher than what I imagined..."

"Is that so? Perhaps if we got in closer then?"

There, up in the sky, was the Chaste Huntress Atalanta and the Gorgon-Slayer Perseus. Both riding upon the majestic steed known simply as Pegasus. The King of Conquerors couldn't help but feel envy at the two for being able to ride upon such a magnificent creature, but he supposed it wasn't any time for such feelings.

Right now, they were an enemy that needed to be taken down!

"SPEARS! ARCHERS, TAKE AIM!"

Not a moment after giving out the command, the soldiers quickly did as told, recuperating from the Chaste Huntress' assault and readying themselves.

...!

Soon afterwards, the spearmen nearest to the two from the ground began their assault, all throwing their weapons with tremendous force, as the archers followed suit their counterparts.

"Pegasus!"

Holding on tight, Atalanta braced herself as Perseus spurred on Pegasus, the white beast darting across the sky as it avoided being shot down. With her using her bow to shoot down any that would have made their mark.

She was somewhat impressed by their enemies ability to throw and shoot, reaching up even where the two of them were, nearly hitting them at some points despite the speeds they were going at... Atalanta couldn't help but feel a bit of respect towards the army below them, and to the King who united them all in the first place.

Still, they couldn't afford to prolong this battle. Right now, the two of them including Lancer were the only ones left standing. The Assassin personas had already been killed off not long after the battle commenced. They'd need a way to settle it quickly soon.

"Perseus, how often are you able to use your Noble Phantasm?"

Atalanta asked, continuing to shoot down any incoming projectiles and shooting their enemies below.

"Aside from riding it you mean?" Perseus replied, making sure that his partner didn't end up getting skewered. "If that's the case, then I believe with my current mana, I should at least be able to use it three times before I am exhausted."

"Three times..." The Chaste Huntress muttered to herself. "Thanks to it not taking much mana, I'm able to use my Noble Phantasm more than a few times without worry. But considering their numbers... That leaves us no choice then, we'll need to take down Rider of Red if we want to end this."

"I believed as much. Any suggestions?"

While the two heroes of Greece considered their options, down below the members of the alliance between Red and Black observed the ongoing spectacle that was occurring within the Reality Marble.

Aside from the Archer and Rider taking on an entire army by themselves, another battle was taking place off to the side where no one would interfere. Considering the two individuals who were fighting, all thought it best to leave the two to each other.

...!

Flames ignited from Karna's body as he swung his spear at Achilles, the latter doing the same as the two heroes moved at incredible speeds parrying the other's strikes. The desert landscape around them being blown away by the sheer force of each of their blows.

"This really is on a different level..." Aya couldn't help but mutter nervously.

"Well, both of them are heroes who came from the Age of Gods. Perhaps it's to be expected."

Waver stated in response. They were damn lucky that Achilles had been along with them during this battle, as he knew that were it not for him, Lancer would have already released his Noble Phantasm. And he knew that it was quite a powerful one as well.

...!

"Ugh!"

"What's wrong?" The former quickly went over to the young blonde.

"It's nothing, it's..."

Briefly feeling a burning sensation on her hand, Aya saw that her Command Spell was glowing. She quickly realized what it meant, and that got her to worry.

"Lord El-Melloi."

She began, turning towards Waver and looking at him with a determined look on her face. Without even saying anything, the latter was able to figure out what the blonde was going to say. Having seen her glowing Command Spells.

Under normal circumstances, he would've have said no. But had he been in her position, then...

...

"Gray."

Waver called out, catching the attention of his young apprentice.

"Go with her, make sure that she doesn't get into too much trouble."

Realizing what her Master was about to let them do, Gray simply nodded in response. Looking towards Aya, she also gave her a nod that signified that she was alright with her decision as well.

"Heh, you want to stand alongside your own Servant do you?" Iskander came up, grinning at the young blonde himself. "I approve girl, you will have one of my men as an escort as well. He should be able to keep away any of the Assassins that remain outside of this realm."

"I shall be honored to fight alongside you both." Said soldier declared, appearing right beside his King wearing grey armor, a sword and shield in both his hands. "If you both would hold onto me, then we'll be able to leave soon."

"Right," Aya nodded as both she and Gray did so. "Thank you for this Rider-san, Lord El-Melloi! Are you all going to be alright?"

"El-Melloi II, and we can handle ourselves." Waver replied as he crossed his arms. "Just make sure neither of you two die, I'm making that clear now."

"Yes!"

With that, all three disappeared from where they were stood.

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

So ends CH23, and so far it's the hardest chapter I had to write since, like I said before and will continue to state, fight scenes aren't my thing. The Ionioi Hetairoi scene is about the longest scene I've ever had to write without breaking it into separate parts I think. And I hope it works well enough. Also, the Achilles vs Karna and Atalanta fight. Some may call BS on that, but I stand by it since the former is stated to be the only one truly capable of keeping up with Karna in Apocrypha and as well as the fact that he specializes in fighting multiple opponents at once. Add his speed, skills, and equipment, I think it checks out.

As for the Cu vs Robin/Hundred-Face fight, I take advantage of the fact that Cu has "Protection from Arrows" skill, which basically means any projectile from a visible opponent is useless against him, and the fact that Cu moves really fast to begin with (A+ Agility) so he reacts and moves a lot faster compared to the other two. So I think it checks out as well, though I apologize if it and the fights in general are disappointing. I'm still trying to work on that aspect of mine XP

And as for Ramesses and Tamamo... screw it, I just wanted to write Ramesses with a weakness for being called brother by a foxy imouto XD Hate me if you wish XD Also, I would have included the continuations of the Siegfried vs Brynhild, Mordred vs Arash, Elizabeth vs Hassan of Serenity fights in this chapter too, but the Ionioi Hetairoi reveal took up about half of the chapter itself, so I decided to save them for the next one instead.

I also rewrote an aspect of the brainwashing regarding Ramesses in order to be more in line with what FGO reveals about him. He's fully aware of himself, but since Manaka pours a lot of mana into controlling him, his body still ends up being controlled. Basically, blame it on Psycho-Loli Goddess powers XP Manaka has been described as omnipotent in a sense several times, so I decided to roll with it.

Also, spoiler alert but screw it, having read the latest chapter of Prisma-Ilya, it's revealed that Angelica is actually Julian's older sister XD I did not see that coming at all, and my brain had to reboot when I finally noticed the resemblance between their designs XD As a result, Angelica's role in the future of FMB has been affected too.

* * *

 ** _As for the guest reviewers who made statements or who had questions last time:_**

 ** _Guest:_** I would have done that, but I saw no point to it since aside from Medea and Elizabeth, the Black Team is basically the same as it was before. Though I was planning on showing why Elizabeth came to treat Vlad like an Uncle. But I'm still trying to figure out the proper way on how to write it.

 ** _Black 13:_** To be honest, I've been pondering the pairing itself for years now ever since Fate/Extra was first released. That's all there really is to it.

* * *

And to those of you who liked the Side Act that involved Shirou, Hakuno, and Aoko, I have some news you might like. I've decided to make it after all (Well technically speaking I was going to make it regardless but now it's official) and for now, it's name is going to be "Knight of Witches" or "KoW" for short. I won't say much about it aside from the fact that it's going to be heavily based on Fate/Extra in regards to the Holy Grail War, but it won't immediately dive into that as well. And the story itself will take place around a year or so after FMB.

That's it for now. Please review :D


	25. Act II-24: The Fall of Heroes

_**AN:** Though a bit early to say since there's still one more day before it, happy new year everyone! Thank you those who faved, followed, and reviewed FMB this past year. It took me a while to get this out. Apologies for the lateness of this, busy with real life and all that. Here is Chapter 24 of FMB. Note that the chapter itself may come off as rushed or the like, especially with the fight scenes. Let me know if there's a problem I need to edit. Reasons for that are in the below AN. Please review :D_

 _ **Update (1/14/2017):** Realized that I forgot to add a bit regarding the final part with Sieg and Astolfo, as well as the final part with person whose identity you all could guess. Added both now._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 24:**_

 _ **The Fall of Heroes**_

* * *

"Wow~ I just can't get enough of how wondrous this city is~!"

Standing atop a roof observing their nearby surroundings, both Astolfo and Sieg arrived at the location of where Lord El-Melloi II and the others should have been according to Ruler. And much like the rest of Tokyo, it was quite a sight to behold.

"Do you think that we could go exploring after this~? From the looks of it, this area has many shops."

"Perhaps we should try to find out where the others are before considering it." Sieg suggested with a crooked smile. "At any rate, thanks to the fumes of this city, I'm having trouble trying to find the scent of Lord El-Melloi and everyone else."

"Wait a minute Sieg, you can smell people?"

The young paladin perked up in curiosity at this.

"Hmm? Yes I can." The former replied, turning his attention towards the pinkette. "I believe it to be the result of implanting the dragon-heart in me as well. Because ever since then, my sense of smell has been heightened beyond that of normal human being and more akin to an animal now. Did I forget to mention this earlier?"

"You did." Astolfo replied before smiling widely at this. "So then, what do I smell like~?"

"Let me see..." Sieg crossed his arms in thought. "You have an overwhelmingly sweet scent, one that's somehow irritating me in a way."

"Ahahaha~! I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a compliment or an insult~!" The pinkette merely laughed it off along with a wave of his hand. "So, what about say... Berserker for instance? What does she smell like?"

"She smells like a dragon just like myself. Though like you, there's an overwhelmingly sweet scent as well that irritates me."

"Archer of Red?" Astolfo asked.

"Gold."

"Really? Wait, does gold even have a scent?" The former wondered to himself before moving on. "Then how about Rider of Red?"

"Wine and Alcohol."

"Hahaha!"

The young paladin laughed at how accurate a description that was. Ever since their alliance was formed, nearly every instance of the King of Conquerors he had seen had the former having a drink in his hand. Now that he thought about it, he should have a get together with Rider of Red in order to teach Sieg about life. The young paladin was sure that he would agree to it.

Moving on, he asked his next question. One that he was curious to hear as he could tell as Sieg's descriptions of the people's smells was basically him telling his opinion of others.

"Well then, how about Caster? What does she smell like?"

"It's difficult to say..." Sieg replied as he placed a hand beneath his chin. "She smells of death, but at the same time she smells of nature, specifically the ocean. I'd rather not say anything more..."

"Ah..."

Astolfo simply nodded in understanding. By all accounts, with the charms they were given by Caster, which allowed them both to remain hidden to the eyes of normal people and allowed Caster herself to communicate with them, she could very well be listening in on them at the moment. It would be smart to stop now before anything untoward could be said. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Wait a minute, they were getting off track.

"Anyway, we should probably take a look around." The young paladin began, remembering their original purpose. "We're bound to find something after all. Either that or we run into the enemy and if by luck we're either able to take care of them or we're both dead men or perhaps even try to torture us into siding with them. But that's not's accounting to what will happen to our allies too, but I'm pretty sure luck is on our side today~!"

Sieg merely remained silent as the young paladin continued speaking, listing off two worst case scenarios after the other all with a smile on his face and a happy tone. He couldn't tell if he was serious or not, or if Astolfo was merely being optimistic. Considering his reputation, it was likely the latter.

...!

His senses went on the alert as his nose picked something up.

"What is this...?"

"Hmm? What is it Sieg?"

The pinkette asked as he looked curiously at his friend and Master. All of a sudden, the white-haired homunculus began looking around all over, as though he was sniffing out something like a dog would when something caught their interest.

"There's something unnatural in the atmosphere..."

"Magecraft then?" Astolfo guessed. When one thinks of unnatural, the most common source would be magecraft.

"I believe it is." Sieg replied, raising his finger. "Over there, north of here."

"Alright then~!" The pinkette stated before suddenly jumping onto the former's back much to his surprise as he caught Astolfo. "Onward trusty steed to our destination~!"

"But I'm not a horse." The white-haired homunculus stated. "And why are you riding on my back? You already have your own mount after all."

"Think of this as training~" Astolfo simply replied with a smile. "Let's test how well you can fly with someone on your back~!"

"Ugh..."

Knowing that it was futile to argue, Sieg complied to the young paladin's words and the two flew off from their location. The latter laughing in delight as he rode on his back. Despite being his Master, the young homunculus felt like he was the Servant instead.

"Tch!"

Off in the distance observing the duo, one of the Assassin Personas clicked their tongue in annoyance.

"Damn it all, why did they have to appear now of all times!?"

He cursed. If Rider of Black and his Master interfered now, then all their planning for the day would have been for naught. They needed to buy some time, but with only him and a few of his brethren, how should they do so?

 _'I need to contact Master Julian!'_

* * *

Within the mirror realm...

...!

For a moment, bursts of electricity erupted in the middle of the street before dissipating just as quickly as three individuals appeared.

Two of them were Aya and Gray, the other being one of Rider's men that he allowed accompany them.

"This is..."

Aya said to herself, trying to gain her bearings since the sudden shift in environment was somewhat unsettling to the young blonde.

Soon afterwards, she allowed herself to gaze at her surroundings.

Just like earlier but now reversed, the desert environment had disappeared and once again its place were the city streets. Though like before, the sky still glowed an ethereal light and darkness that covered the entire area. Meaning that they were still inside the Mirror Realm as Lord El-Melloi had called it as such.

"Looks like we're here." She couldn't help but mutter.

"Don't let your guard down, our enemies might be nearby..."

Gray stated as she took out what looked to be small bird cage from underneath her mantle. Aya was confused as to what it was for when there wasn't even a bird inside of it and instead strange looking box.

...!

Before she knew it, the same massive scythe that the white-haired girl wielded earlier reappeared in her hands. Now that she had time to think about it, the young blonde was somewhat curious as to where her giant weapon went after Rider had picked them on his chariot to escape the initial attack of their enemies.

Still, to wield such a thing so easily... Gray really was stronger than she looked. Though perhaps that was redundant as Aya had already seen the girl fight before during the battle at Yggdmillennia Castle. Compared to her, the white-haired girl was quite capable enough to easily handle any of the Dragon-Tooth Warriors that came her way. Zipping past them rather easily to be precise.

In fact, the way she fought somewhat reminded her of the way how Saber of Red fought against Saber of Black that one time. Though compared to Saber of Red, Gray had more finesse and style whereas the former was more unrefined in her techniques if she were to comment on it. That much she was able to tell on her own.

...!

Aya's senses immediately went on the alert as she whipped her head around and looked off into the distance. One look at the young blonde's face was enough for Gray to tell what she had just felt. Especially since she could see the Command Spells on the former's left hand glowing a faint red.

"Where are they?"

"Not far, and it looks like Lancer is in the middle of fighting someone!"

"Then we shall endeavor to support him." The soldier finally spoke up, causing the two to gaze at him. "I am Mithrenes. As per my King's command, I shall aid you both in your quest. I look forward to working with the both of you."

"Thank you Mithrenes-san." Aya stated with a grateful nod before turning to Gray. "Let's go!"

The latter nodded in turn, with the trio heading off towards Lancer's location.

"Tch!"

From atop a building unknown to the group, someone had observed their appearance in the middle of the street.

"Geez, now we've got more pests to deal with."

Beatrice muttered to herself, cleaning her ear out as she sat at the ledge of the rooftop.

Not long after Angelica had left to rendezvous with Archer, she saw the group appear from out of nowhere. Weren't they supposed to have been absorbed by Rider of Red's Noble Phantasm? At this rate, they'd probably interfere with the plan to deal with Lancer. Maybe she should contact Angelica?

Then again, maybe she shouldn't. After all, if their plan fails the blame would easily be placed on that blonde-haired bimbo since she was now the acting Master on the field.

...

"Ah damn it, I might as well...!"

Regardless of that, she'll probably receive a scolding from Lord Julian too. And as much as some of her fantasies would tell her otherwise, an angry Julian was not exactly something she was looking forward to.

With that, the redhead quickly stood up and went to find Angelica and Archer. Leaping across the buildings to quicken her pace.

And now that she had time to think about it, she might as well find Caster too. Powerful or not, it was time to put his lazy ass to work. Why Kotomine and Lord Julian bothered to even keep him around in the first place was beyond her.

 _"Beatrice."_

"H-Huh? Lord Julian!?"

She yelped out in surprise at hearing her beloved Julian's voice inside her mind. She was taken aback by it so much, that the redhead failed to notice...

...!

"Gack!"

...the billboard that was right in front of her, atop the very roof she was currently on. Smacking straight into it before falling down on her bottom.

"Gah, that smarts...!"

Beatrice muttered to herself as she held her face painfully. Damn stupid billboard! Who the hell thought it was a good idea to place it there!? Once she found out the one responsible, she'll kill them dead!

 _"What in blazes are you doing?"_

Julian's voice cut through her thoughts once more, causing the redhead to quickly straighten herself out.

 _"Aah, n-nothing! It's nothing!"_ She stated, before trying to change the subject. _"So why are you calling me Lord Julian?_ _Ugh, I'm not slacking off. That Tohsaka bitch is back, so I was just about to head over to Angelica and Archer to-_ _"_

 _"Forget about them, I'll pass it on myself."_ Julian replied. _"In the meantime, I have another task for you. Assassin has informed me that we have uninvited guests just outside the Mirror Realm. I want you to deal with them before they discover the relay point that sustains it."_

 _"Oh? How do you want me to deal with them~?"_

She asked, smirking slightly in delight. If what Lord Julian was telling her to do was what she thought it was, then she couldn't help but feel ecstatic!

 _"Kill them. Use the card I gave you earlier."_

...!

Smiling in delight, Beatrice quickly pulled out a Class-Card from her pocket. One that had the word BERSERKER imprinted upon it.

However, unlike other Class-Cards, it lacked the associated image of said Servant-Class.

 _"Don't let your guard down._ _The process isn't perfect yet, so it won't be able to access some of the Heroic Spirit's abilities. And while_ _Rider of Black looks to be a weak Servant when compared to the others, but he's nonetheless strong together with his Master."_

"Ah, so it's the pretty boy and the homunculus is it? This is going to be fun!"

With a wild grin on her face, Beatrice held up the card and shouted.

"Install!"

* * *

"Damn it, where the hell did that bastard go?"

Making his way through the streets, Lancer continued his search for the Archer known as Robin Hood.

A while had already passed since he last caught trace of the latter's presence. Thanks to whatever it was that allowed Archer to disappear, the blue-haired spearsman suspected that his foe was already lining up his next shot once more. Thankfully Archer had to make his presence known whenever he was taking said shot, which allowed the former to react just in time whenever he did.

Still, with so much cover to be had with the numerous buildings around, Archer had the advantage. The latter could even sneak up on him if he wanted to, though he doubted that would happen considering that an Archer's greatest strength was in their ability to take out their targets from a distance.

 _'Assassin isn't attacking anymore either... Did I get all those bastards or did they just run out?'_

Indeed, along with Archer disappearing so too did Assassin of Black and his multiple personas. He couldn't decide if it was either because of them deciding to retreat for now planning their next attack or if it was because they had all been taken out already. A rather annoying ability to be sure, being unable to determine your opponent's own death since he had the ability to present himself as multiple individuals.

 _'Still, better not let my guard down... I'd rather not-'_

...!

Coming to a stop atop a roof, Lancer allowed his gaze to fall down upon the sight below him.

 _'What the hell is he doing...?'_

Not from where he was, down the street by himself stood Archer. He had expected the latter to try to sniping him again from another building, yet he was just standing there instead. His presence uncovered even.

Something was wrong, Archer had to know that he was exposed as he was. Was he setting up a trap for him? It was likely, but even then there was something off with how the former was going about it at the moment.

Still, not exactly one to stray from a fight, Lancer jumped down to face his foe. Landing just a few meters in front of Archer.

"Heh, got tired of running and hiding did you?"

"..."

"Well then, I guess we're settling this man to man then?"

"..."

"Tch!"

Great, Archer wasn't even responding to him. Considering their banter earlier, something really was wrong.

 _'Ah, screw it...!'_

Deciding that he might as well got it over with, the blue-haired spearsman twirled Gae Bolg and got into position. Trap or no, it was better to get it over with now rather than later. He just hoped that Ayaka was doing alright while he was doing his thing. Her presence had somehow disappeared together with the others.

Still, considering who she was with, he had faith that Rider and the others could protect her.

...!

"Huh? Ayaka...?"

The sound of thunder echoed throughout the area, momentarily distracting him with its noise. He couldn't tell where it came from, but from the moment it appeared, Lancer felt the presence of his Master once more.

...!

"...!?"

Having heard a sudden burst, Lancer reacted just in time as Archer pulled out a sword and struck him where he stood.

...!

The ground beneath them shook, cracks spreading as a crater was formed.

"The hell...?!"

He was taken aback when he suddenly felt an absurd amount of strength coming from Archer as the two struggled against each other. While he knew little of the legend of Robin Hood, he knew for a fact that he wasn't supposed to be super strong.

Metal clashed against metal as a trade of blows began between the two of them. Lancer also noted that the orange-haired rogue's speed had suddenly increased too, now being fast enough to keep up with him for some reason.

Regardless of the reason, this fight had become a lot more fun now.

"Heh! What happened!? Finally decided to get serious!?"

The rogue continued to remained silent as they fought. He was either being arrogant or just trying to annoy him. Either way, Lancer wouldn't have it. Even with his strength and newly discovered speed, one thing was for sure...

...!

Archer's blade flew off, and seeing a chance, Lancer went in for the kill.

"It's not going to help you!"

...!

"Wha-!?"

Widening his eyes, Lancer could only stare on in shock as Archer intercepted his strike with his bare hands. Stopping the spear's tip just before it struck him in the heart. It was a movement that was so fast that he didn't even realize it until after the fact.

He could only smirk in delight at this, maybe he should have given more credit to Archer after-

 _ **"YEW BOW..."**_

...!

"Gargh...!"

His vision went red as his mind was filled with the sensation of a sudden pain erupting from his shoulder. Before anything else could happen between him and his foe, Lancer quickly kicked Archer away, hard enough that he was sent flying into a wall, and gazed at his wound.

"A crossbow bolt...!?"

Realizing the only person who could be behind it, Lancer gazed into the direction behind him where the bolt had come from. Scanning the buildings as fast as he could with what his eyes could manage even if he wasn't an Archer himself.

If he was right, then-

"Huh!? I knew it...!"

There he was... standing atop a building was a person.

Said person being Archer himself, the bastard had grin on his face as he stared down at Lancer.

"Heh, didn't see that one coming did you?"

Archer stated. Though he couldn't hear him, he could tell as much through lip movement alone, with a smug smile accompanying them as well.

Damn it, if Archer was there, then who the hell was he-!?

"Raargh...!"

A chilling growl could be heard coming from behind him. Turning about, he looked into the wall where he had kicked _Archer_ into...

"...!?"

There in _Archer's_ place stood a taller figure than the individual he had been fighting just now, and one whose overall appearance was different to the rogue archer. Wearing armor as black as night and covered in mist, an overwhelming blood-lust could be felt emanating from the figure as he stepped out of the hole in the wall, raising his head as he stared directly at the Hound of Chulainn.

"Well... shit."

Having realized who he was, Lancer cursed himself for his own luck...

"RAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

* * *

"Are you certain it was wise to send out Berserker?"

"Not quite, but given the situation, it would be naive of us to not take advantage of it."

Outside standing upon the terrace and looking down upon the clouds were Shirou and Julian, the latter voicing his doubts about the former's decision to send out the Knight of the Lake out on his current task. With Berserker gone, all that left their defenses was the former, Saber, and the defenses provided by the fortress itself.

"I understand your concern Julian, but relax for a moment and think of the benefits if we succeed." Shirou replied with his usual smile. "As I had suspected, Rider of Red's Noble Phantasm was a Reality Marble. It was quite advantageous in that by using it to shift the battlefield for himself and Lancer of Red, it left the Hound of Chulainn all by his lonesome. With them gone, Berserker can now take him on without worry."

True, he himself was quite worried regarding their situation at the moment. He knew that there was only one person who could discover their location, and if said person decided to pay a _visit_ to them as it were, then there was no telling what might happen.

Still, risks had to be taken if one were to achieve his goals. Such was what life had taught him so. One other reason was that he discovered through one of Assassin's personas that the group led by Kairi Shishigou was taking part in a battle against three of Sajyou Manaka's Servants. He didn't know how or why it happened, but seeing as how the latter's group was now distracted, he felt now was a good time to send the Black Knight out while they had the chance.

"It's not that I'm concerned about," Julian stated as he shook his head. "But I'd rather would have sent him and Angelica after Rider of Black and that homunculus Master of his instead. You know for yourself that the system hasn't been perfected yet. The chances of failure are quite high."

Shirou merely nodded in understanding. "I understand your concern, but think of this as a sort of field test for the Install System. You've yet to perform one haven't you? What better way to compare the imitation to the original? Besides, if all goes according to plan, then the price is all the more worth it."

The black-haired youth shook his head once more. It was always like this whenever they would argue over something. He'd say something, and Kotomine would find a way to counter his words. He sometimes wondered to himself why his father and grandfather decided to work with him if this was the case with their relationship with him as well.

Then again, his aid also helped jump start their own projects as well. Mainly in regards to their work regarding the Holy Grail War and the Class-Cards. With a live Servant around who also knew about magecraft himself, he was quite an asset to say the least.

"By the way..."

Julian turned to look at Kotomine, who was now suddenly smirking for some reason.

"Last night I overheard you talking to Erika on the phone." The former froze up as the latter smiled. "She had a nightmare didn't she? And that you assured her that it was all just a dream and wished her good night?"

"What about it...?" The black-haired youth muttered in annoyance. "Is there anything wrong with me comforting my little sister?"

"Nothing at all, a good older sibling is one who takes care of their younger siblings after all." Shirou shook his head, placing a hand upon Julian's shoulder. "Just be sure to take these moments while you can. Our work here could invariably lead to an early death should we fail in our mission, and I'd rather not let Erika live without her two siblings around to be with her anymore."

"You fool, we won't fail." Julian scoffed as he turned to leave. "Besides, I'm the only sibling Erika has left to begin with. I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Oh? Then what about Angelica?"

The former stopped at this, pausing for a good moment. The white-haired hero knew he had struck a nerve with his words.

"That woman... is no longer the sister we once knew."

With that Julian left, leaving Shirou by himself with the latter sighing at the former's words as he looked up towards the sky.

"Zachary, your children have a rather complicated relationship right now..." He spoke, though knowing that no one would reply. "I'll do what I can for them old friend, but it seems like an uphill battle from where I stand."

Between managing the Rogue Faction and dealing with their enemies, Shirou truly had his work cut out for him.

"Heh..."

A thought which merely brought a smile to his face as he walked back into the fortress himself.

* * *

"The fighting is getting louder!"

Aya commented as she, Gray, and Mithrenes ran down the streets closing in on Lancer's current battle. Whoever it was he was fighting against, they needed to ready themselves for the inevitable. It was likely Archer, meaning they were in for a long-ranged battle. And on the chance that some of Assassin's personas were still alive, then they'd need to be on the alert as well.

...!

"Huh? This feeling is..."

Gray muttered to herself, her mind telling her that something was amiss.

 _"You were both better off staying by the side of El-Melloi..."_

"...!?"

The white-haired girl stopped running as did the other two, readying themselves as a voice had suddenly spoken out towards the group.

"Who was that just now? The enemy...?"

Aya stated in wonder and caution. Gray turned to her, but the quickly noted the strange shadow beneath-!?

"Look out!" She called out.

Before Aya knew it, above her was a hooded figure poised to strike her.

...!

Reacting as quickly as he could, Mithrenes parried its blow and struck it down. It was sent crashing into the side of a building. The young blonde had to blink several times before realizing what had just happened. Turning to look at herself, her assailant, and her protector.

"T-Thank you...!" Aya said, snapping out of her daze.

"It was my pleasure." He simply smiled and nodded.

Upon closer inspection, Aya was able to take note of her assailant's full appearance. The weapon it used being directly attached to the forearm as well. To be precise, like it somehow came out of it. And beneath its hood, there lied no face. Rather, it had a face but one that wasn't human at all.

"A mannequin...?"

A porcelain white face with no expression on it, an artificial construct it would seem. Her grandmother had told her about such things before, about how some magi would use constructs such as these to do their work, but this was her first time encountering one in action.

...!

The blonde quickly turned around as she heard several thuds. Once she did so, she saw several more mannequins ready to strike at them.

Seeing how close they were to their destination, Mithrenes quickly came to one conclusion.

"Allow me to handle this, you two go on ahead!"

He declared before he then charged the enemy. Seeing no point in arguing, both girls complied and left the scene.

* * *

"Do you think he'll be alright?"

Not long afterwards, they were now a fair distance away from Mithrenes' battle with the mannequins.

"I believe so." Gray replied as she and the blonde continued onto their destination. "The soldiers within Rider of Red's Reality Marble are pseudo-Servants. While they won't be able to display their true capabilities thanks to the nature of how they're summoned, they're still above the strength of regular humans. Dealing with artificial constructs such as those shouldn't be much of a problem."

"I see."

Aya nodded in understanding. She also took note of the fact that this was probably the longest she had heard the white-haired girl speak. Somehow, it was kinda strange actually. But better she kept that to herself less she insult her companion after all.

"That's quite enough now, I'll kindly ask that you both stop now."

A voice called out, which was the very same one from earlier, and the girls turned to look at the source.

There, atop the ledge of a small building, stood a tall young woman with long blonde hair tied into twin tails wearing a simple blouse, a long skirt, and boots. She was rather beautiful all things considered, but the look in her eyes sent a shiver down Aya's spine.

The woman then neatly landed on the ground, casually walking towards the two girls as both raised their guards.

"Tohsaka Ayaka." She called out, surprising the younger blonde as the former held out her hand. "My name is Angelica, and I'm going to be taking it back now."

"Huh? Taking it back...?"

"Indeed, that which you stole from us obviously." Angelica pointed out, crossing her arms together. "Don't tell me that you've already forgotten, the generous gift that Kotomine lent to you for your protection back then."

"Ah...!" Aya quickly reeled back in realization before glaring at the former. "Lancer would never join you!"

"Irrelevant, it doesn't matter what he chooses to do." She merely replied. "At any rate, I'm not here to debate the matter any longer."

Snapping her fingers together, several mannequins appeared beside Angelica through strange portals. Two of them then knelt before her, presenting the blonde with a pair of finely crafted swords to use as she then turned to look at the two once more.

"These are the Ainsworth Dolls. Do the two of you have what it takes to face them-"

Before a reply could be had, Gray had closed the distance and was poised to strike with her weapon. Surprising even Angelica with her speed, as it was even faster than what she had expected from the white-haired girl.

...!

The sound of metal echoed briefly as scythe met sword as Angelica parried the former's attack, with both standing there ground as they looked into each other's eye.

"Irrelevant, we have no intentions of losing to you."

"You brat..."

...!

Gray leaped away as she avoided being struck by the sword the older woman had in her other hand, landing right beside Aya as she glanced at her.

"Are you able to back me up?"

"I-I'll do my best...!"

The white-haired girl merely smiled at this before turning her attention back towards their enemy.

Not long afterwards, both she and Angelica charged one another once more.

...!

* * *

...!

"Gah...!"

"Rider!"

Materializing his wings, Sieg flew up and caught his friend before he slammed into a wall.

"My thanks..." The young paladin smiled slightly while holding his side in pain.

Inside a warehouse, Sieg and Astolfo arrived at the location of the strange scent that the former had picked up on earlier. When they arrived, they also noted that a boundary field had been set up around it and the surrounding area. Most likely to prevent potential witnesses.

Knowing that perhaps entering would result in them entering a trap, the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne decided to do so anyway. Better to face the enemy head on after all, and being the pinkette's Master, Sieg followed suit and entered as well.

What they found was something that neither expected...

"Ahahaha~! What's the matter, that all you got pretty boy!?"

Standing in the middle of the room was a orange-haired girl of short stature, wearing what appeared to be simply a vest, pants, and bandages over her arms. She literally came out of nowhere as she began assaulting the two of them.

Astolfo tried to intercept her, thinking that it would have been easy but he had underestimated his foe when several punches and kicks were sent his way, causing him to reel back once she proved strong and fast enough to keep up with the young paladin.

"Is she supposed to be a Servant...?" He asked. From their quick bout just now, the young paladin could tell that the girl had enough physical strength to punch away his head. Perhaps if not for luck, he would have already been dead.

"I don't think so, he scent is more or less that of a human." Sieg replied as he helped his companion up. "However, her presence is similar to a Servant at the same time. Albeit, greatly weaker compared to the others."

"The hell you say you damn meat puppet!?" Beatrice demanded.

...!

Both dodged the incoming metal beam thrown their way.

"Call me weak again and I'll tear your balls out very slowly!"

...

"Rider..."

"Ahahaha~ Indeed, this person reminds me a little of Saber of Red." Astolfo chuckled briefly before a serious expression grew on his face. _"At any rate, have you noticed that strange tag stuck to that beam behind her?"_

 _"I have, and it looks as though she's trying to guard it."_

Sieg replied telepathically. When they entered the warehouse earlier, the first thing both noticed was said strange tag. Sieg could tell on sight that it was the source of the very same energy and scent he had been sensing since their arrival within the area.

As he further eyed said tag and realized something. _"Wait, that tag looks like one of those Class-Cards that Miss Tohsaka showed us earlier before we left."_

 _"Really?_ _"_ The young paladin stated with a grin growing on his face. _"It's quite suspicious that something like that is here, and not to mention that you said it's the source of the strange energy you were smelling earlier didn't you? I say that we remove it and see and what happens!"_

Normally Sieg would be opposed to such thinking as recklessly dealing with unknown magecraft tended to end disastrously for the unprepared, but Rider was on point in saying it was somewhat suspicious to see a card here of all places and stuck to a beam.

And with that...

"Hrrgh...!"

Concentrating further, Sieg's hands were then engulfed in flames. Transforming his human like hands into dragon-scaled cover claws. His canines also began growing a bit longer, his hair growing somewhat disheveled too. Giving the regularly proper looking Sieg a feral look.

"Hold nothing back Rider!"

"Ahaha! No need to fear, for I, Astolfo, have no intentions of losing today!"

"Come and get me then, I'll bring both your heads to Lord Julian as a gift!" Beatrice grinned in delight.

* * *

"HAHAHAHA!"

Riding down a highway atop a golden motorcycle was a certain blonde-haired duo. The driver being a young man with striking red eyes and behind him was a young girl who looked to be in her early teens, eyes as blue as the sky itself.

Said duo was none other than Archer of Red and Reines, the latter of whom hung onto dear life as she noted that Archer was clearly enjoying speeding down the highway.

"Would you slow down a little you damn fool!? At this speed I'm bound to fall off!"

"Hahahaha!" The Golden King merely laughed in amusement. "Then you should have just stayed at home then Reines, it would have been much safer for you there!"

"And what kind of Master would I be if I allowed my Servant to go somewhere without me?" She shouted back, barely able to hear her own words thanks to the wind. "To begin with, it's terribly boring to just sit and do nothing at the estate. I'd rather be out here with you, as reckless a driver you are at any rate."

"Heh, well said!" Gilgamesh replied with a smirk, though she couldn't see it from where she was but knew it to be the case. "Nothing in life is ever worth doing without partaking in a bit of risk. Continue to stand by my side Reines and you shall learn more than you ever will than at that stagnant group you call the Association."

"Hmph, I suppose we shall see."

"Indeed, now ready yourself!"

"Huh?! Aaah!"

Increasing speed, the Golden King continuously weaved through the bustling traffic with great ease, to the awe of some of the other drivers on the road as they watched the duo. It was a miracle that they hadn't hit anyone yet with the speeds they were going at. At this rate, they would have reached their destination in no time at all.

Still, the young blonde couldn't help but ask herself as to how Archer had gotten so good at riding a motorcycle. Especially since he actually lacked a Riding skill to begin with. That, and he had only spent a short amount of time with the one she got for him, and that was nearly a week ago by now.

When she had asked, all Archer said was:

 _Hah, nothing is impossible for me!_

As amusing as his words were, she wasn't really surprised and perhaps should have even expected it. Archer _was_ the King of Heroes after all. And as some would say, motorcycles were basically metal horses. She supposed that it just came naturally.

Onto more pressing matters, she was also curious to learn more about the current situation regarding Waver and Gray's group. Ruler being unable to detect the presence of Rider of Red and the others was not a good thing. Although a part of her wanted to go investigate the situation together with Archer, Ruler had already sent for Rider of Black and his homunculus Master Sieg to go instead.

For now, they had other matters to attend to and that was to check on Kairi Shishigou and his group instead. Caster had earlier tried to communicate with them to no avail, meaning something must have happened to them as well.

With that said, Reines wasn't as worried about Shishigou's group as she was about Waver's. Mostly because the latter simply had a bigger target on his back compared to the former. Worst case scenario, they were dead. A part of her wanted to believe otherwise, but she had to consider the possibility as well. And in the event that something were to happen to her dear brother, either Shishigou or herself would have to assume his role as the Association's eyes, ears, and sword in the current conflict.

 _'Don't die you fool, I'm not done with you yet. You haven't paid me and my family back completely until I say so...'_

...!

"Wah!?"

The sound of a loud horn and a sudden swerve caught Reines off guard as she held on tightly to her Servant.

When regained her bearings, she noticed a truck passing them by as the passenger window lowered itself as a man began yelling.

"Watch where you're going you damn foreigner!"

"What was that!? You fools are obviously at fault for even daring to try and overtake me!"

Reines merely sighed in annoyance at this, mostly at the fact that Archer decided to even respond in the first place.

* * *

...!

"Argh!"

Mordred's body surged in pain as several arrows pierced through her right shoulder and arm, blowing her away with such force that Red Knight quickly found herself pinned to a large rock. Blood beginning to flow from her wounds.

Damn it all, that attack just now was something that she should have easily been able to intercept!

"Aargh...!"

"You ready to give up now?"

Arash questioned as he appeared in front of the young blonde.

"Never, I'd rather die!"

The latter exclaimed as she at former, causing him to flinch somewhat at it's intensity. He noted this earlier, but he had never imagined that that the well-mannered and chivalric Saber would father such a ferocious daughter. Even with what little he knew of Saber of Red's legend and her... complicated relationship with her father, it was still something that was bewildering to the black-haired archer.

"Indeed, you're truly nothing like him at all." He couldn't help but voice with a chuckle and smile. "Who knew that Saber fathered such a ferocious daughter, I somehow feel a bit of sympathy towards him now."

"What was that!? I dare you to repeat that!"

...!

"Whoa!"

Arash leaped back, avoiding a kick to the face as Saber quickly broke free of her restraints. Unflinchingly, she then pulled out the arrow from her wounded shoulder and crushed it in her hands, her sword reappearing in her hand as she raised it towards the

"Continue to mock me as you like, I'll soon have your head!"

Once again, Arash couldn't help but chuckle. Saber of Red's responses truly were something to behold when compared to her father.

With that, the two continued their duel.

As for the Red Knight herself, the moment she lifted her arm pain surged once more throughout her shoulder. No doubt that with her current injury, her fighting ability had been hampered. Damn it, why was she having such a hard time with a mere Archer!? She should have been one to have the advantage, not the other way around!

...!

The blonde sliced through several arrows aimed her way, her shoulder once more searing in pain.

 _'Damn it all...!'_

"What's the matter? Slowing down already!?"

"Not yet!"

...!

For a moment, Arash watched on in curiosity as to what his opponent was doing. Saber of Red's energy suddenly spiked, her entire form glowing just then. Just when he was about to ready himself for her attack...

"You're too slow!"

...!

"Gargh!"

Before he knew it, the blonde-haired knight closed the distance between the two of them and sliced his chest open. Luckily for him, he was able to react in time and leap back before her attack got too deep, resulting in a wide but non-fatal wound at best.

 _'Still, that was too close for comfort. What was that...!?'_

"Heh, that smile on your face has disappeared I see."

Smirking in delight, Mordred stood proud at the sight of her work. Her idea had worked as she hoped, and now she and Archer both had injuries to their person hampering their fighting capability. Something that her opponent also took note of himself.

"Not bad Saber, but I'll be returning the favor soo-!?"

Arash raised his head, looking towards the Red Knight before freezing up and finding himself a bit speechless at the sight of the young blonde.

Right now, what in the name of god was she wearing...?

"Ugh... Saber, what happened to your armor?"

"What about it?" Mordred stated with narrowed eyes. "Does my current form offend you?"

"No, it's just that, well..."

It was already pretty clear to him that Saber of Red disliked being treated as a woman, so he had to choose his words carefully otherwise he might offend and make her even angrier than she already was. Suffice it to say, that was a bit of task in itself.

Her armor gone, her current outfit revealed itself to be rather... free in nature. It wasn't so much her current state of dress that bothered him but the fact that she was actually parading around in such a thing to begin with. _That's_ what she wore underneath her armor?

"Now I'm curious what your father would have to say about this..." He muttered quietly to himself, unaware that the blonde had heard him speak.

Several moments passed as the black-haired archer's words repeated themselves in Mordred's mind.

What did Archer mean by that? Why would her father even... Wait a minute!

An angry blush grew on the Red Knight's face as she charged.

"YOU DIE NOW!"

* * *

"Hehe~!"

Observing the battle between Archer and Saber of Red through her crystal ball was a certain blonde-haired girl, giggling to herself all the while watching the spectacle seated atop a bed. Beside her sat a fox-eared woman tended to the young blonde's hair as she braided a portion of it.

"My my, such an amusing character Saber of Red is isn't she Master? She takes being a hothead to a whole new level!" Tamamo laughed in amusement. "It's quite amazing really, she's nothing at all like Saber. Not one bit~"

"True, even I can't believe it even now." Manaka nodded in agreement, her face scrounged up in confusion as she tried to make sense of the idea itself. "I suppose she got it from her mother then. Yes, that's probably it."

Morgan Le-Fay, an evil witch renowned for her part in King Arthur's downfall. Some sources said that she was also the King's half-sister, and that by producing a child with her did his downfall began as punishment from the heavens for committing the taboo of incest. Manaka didn't really care about any of that, but she wondered to herself what kind of person the actual Morgan was. If Saber of Red was of any indication, then maybe the legends held some truth to them after all.

 _'Still...'_

"What's the matter Master~?"

The pink-haired woman smirked in delight as she saw the darkened expression on her the young blonde's face. From the looks of it, she didn't even notice as her young Master turned her gaze towards her in confusion.

"What is it?"

"Don't tell me, you're jealous right now aren't you? That another woman managed to bear Saber's child before you did~?"

"B-Be quiet Caster...!" Manaka exclaimed as she huffed in the other direction.

"Ahaha, I knew it~!" Tamamo giggled as she held the blonde close from behind. "Do not fret my lovely child. I, Tamamo-san, will ensure that Saber's love and attention shall always be directed towards you and you only! If he doesn't agree, then I shall make him see reason with my special technique: the Polygamist Castration Fist!"

"Somehow that makes me feel a little nervous..."

Truth be told however, Caster's words did hit a mark. Although she knew that it was integral to Saber's legend as the reason why he fell from grace, a part of her couldn't help but resent the very idea of her Prince having a child with another woman.

Was this what jealousy felt like? Caster had called it as such, and the last time she had felt such a similar emotion was when she saw her younger sister Ayaka getting along rather well Saber all those years ago. However, if she had to compare what she felt then and now, then the former was basically a childish reaction on her part. She was mature enough to admit that now. Why bother getting jealous over her younger sister? After all, Saber only had eyes for her.

As for the latter on the other hand... well, the best she could describe it was something clawing at her chest. The moment she first met Saber of Red tripled that feeling. She had seen the Knight of Treachery before thanks to her observations of the war, but meeting her in person was a different experience altogether.

Having rarely experience such things before, the emotions she felt that day felt so strange and alien to her. Something that Manaka didn't like one bit at all. As such, that moment she decided that the best way to be rid of said emotions was to be rid herself of the person that was causing said feelings to swell up inside her.

Alas, she failed however thanks to Ruler's intervention. She would have followed up her attack but her interest and curiosity in the Servant-Mediator who was currently her beloved Prince's Master got the better of the young blonde.

 _'Ruler...'_

She didn't really dwell on it during their first meeting, but there was something about Ruler that felt off. Manaka couldn't tell what it was at the moment but felt that perhaps it had something to do with the Trifas Grail currently in her possession. If so, all the more reason to investigate the matter further. Sadly, the security measures on the grail were making said task rather difficult. Hours had passed since they had discovered said measure and so far no progress. Just who in the world could have placed such a thing that even her and Caster together couldn't break through it?

While thinking that, a smile found it's way to the young blonde's face as a thought came to her.

 _'I suppose it doesn't matter, I'll just have to get bit more serious~'_

Tamamo saw this and couldn't help but smile slowly herself.

"Master... you're so adorable when you smile~!"

"Gah! Caster not so tight...!"

* * *

"You both are an impressive bunch, I'll give you that..."

Angelica stated, watching as Gray and Aya took time to catch their breaths. Surrounding the three were the littered remains of the dolls that blonde had brought along to deal with both, but she didn't think that they'd be taken down so soon. She had underestimated them it seems.

"Are you alright?"

Gray asked, turning her head slightly to the other blonde behind her.

"I-I'm fine...!" The glasses-wearing girl replied jerking somewhat in panic for a moment. "Hehe, it looks you're not too winded yourself aren't you Gray-san?"

The white-haired girl merely shrugged at this, returning her attention towards Angelica herself. The dolls were easy enough to manage, being little more than controlled automatons not that different from the Dragon-Tooth Warriors that they had fought against during the Rogue Factions assault the other night.

As for the woman herself however, she was...

...!

"Get down!"

Reacting on instinct, Gray dove to the ground taking her companion with her. Both narrowly avoided the metal ball that flew straight at them. Looking up, they saw diamond shaped portals of light floating beside Angelica. A sight which somewhat reminded the two of Archer of Red and his method of attack.

"Well now, will the two of you give up or will die here? Whichever you decide is up to you, but-"

...!

Charging ahead in a burst, Gray swung her scythe at the blonde-haired woman. The latter parrying her strike with her swords, moments later following it up with a barrage of metal balls shooting out of the portals at great speeds.

Twisting and turning her body, Gray miraculously managed to avoid them as she continued her assault on Angelica. Aya couldn't help but watch in amazement at seeing the younger girl fight against an older more experienced opponent, using the large scythe in her hands to attack and parry strikes like it was nothing.

Still, it wasn't doing any real good against their foe. In addition to being a strong melee fighter, she also had that strange magic that was rather similar to Archer of Red's style of attack. Shooting out small metal balls through them at incredible speeds. The scary thing was that from the looks of it, her attacks were coming at them faster and faster with each use. With Gray's ability to dodge them at close proximity was an amazing feat in itself.

...!

Gray and Angelica then separated, both taking time to rest for a moment as they gazed at each other once more.

"Not bad. However, your efforts are futile." The latter simply stated. "If you give up the Lancer Card now, I'll be willing to spare you both."

"W-What?" Aya stuttered in surprise.

"Is it that surprising? Lancer originally belonged to us, you merely managed to steal his card thanks to Kotomine's foolishness." Angelica replied, turning her attention towards the said person. "Right now, we're simply taking him back."

"As if Lancer would listen to you people! He'd never go along with what your planning!"

"His opinion does not matter, a Servant's purpose is to obey their Master. Regardless of whoever they are, that is the simple truth."

"Then what about sparing us both? You're forgetting that we're enemy Masters..." Gray added.

"Indeed, killing you both would be the simpler solution." Angelica replied, closing her eyes as she continued. "However, do not forget that with the existence of Sajyou Manaka and her Servants, this war has now officially turned into a three-way struggle. Tactically speaking, it would be better to spare you for now. You might be able to take care of our mutual enemy in our place if we couldn't."

Gray merely narrowed her eyes at this knowing that the former had a point. She didn't know much about who their enemy was aside from the basics, but according to her ancestor and Ruler she was a dangerous person especially with the Servants she had on her side.

"If that's the case, then why did you attack us!?" Aya demanded. "If that's what you really believe, then we should be working together shouldn't we!?"

"Regardless of our common foe, the fact remains that you are also our enemy as well. And we cannot let that pass." Angelica stated. "While we do not wish to cripple you all too badly, taking out El-Melloi and his Servant would prove beneficial to us in the long run."

Both girls widened their eyes at this. So their targets all this time were Waver and Rider of Red!?

"AS IF OUR KING WILL FALL TO THE LIKES OF YOU PEOPLE!"

...!

From high above, Mithrenes appeared and swung his spear down upon Angelica. Having anticipated his strike, the former simply dodged by leaping back a distance.

"Mithrenes-san!" Aya cried out, glad to see their companion was alright.

"Both of you get out here! I'll handle this, you have something you need to correct?"

With no more words being said, Gray made her way towards Aya and carried the latter over her shoulder, speeding away from the area as fast as she could.

Angelica merely clicking her tongue somewhat in annoyance. Well, not that it mattered. By now, the plan should have succeeded already. With Archer's aid, Lancer's fate was already sealed. They merely needed to wait it out for now and retrieve his card once the deed was done.

"Come at me then woman, I'll show you the strength my loyalty to my king!"

"Pointless bluster, just die!

...!

* * *

 ** _"BELLEROPHON!"_**

"EVADE!"

Iskander cried out as his soldiers did as told, quickly doing their best to avoid being hit by the ball of white light headed towards them.

...!

Unfortunately the order came too late, Perseus quickly cut through a great slew of his men. Following up her ally's attack, the Chaste Huntress took action as she raised her bow towards the sky.

 ** _"PHOEBUS CATASTROPHE!"_**

...!

A hail of arrows began raining down on his army, he watched as some defended themselves while others perished due to the assault. As they began their counterattack, the duo flew high once more evading their strikes. At this, Iskandar merely narrowed his eyes. No matter the fact that they had already died once, he couldn't stand seeing his men being taken down as they were.

Some time had passed since he had brought out Ionioi Hetairoi, and so far no progress. He had to respect Archer and Rider for that, they were managing to hold their own against an army well over the hundreds of thousands. It was such a shame that they were his enemies and that he would need to cut them down.

"Heh, such a vexing duo we face... wouldn't you agree boy?"

"True, you have a bad compatibility with the two of them together."

Waver muttered in reply. He couldn't help but curse their luck. Although Rider's Reality Marble was still filled to the brim with legions of his men, they really weren't getting anywhere in their battle with Archer and Rider. The latter's ability to fly at great speeds thanks to his mount was a great hurdle to overcome, especially once it covered itself in light and charged in what he believed to be its main attack.

Twice now they had suffered such an attack from the Rogue Rider. Judging it from that, it seemed it wasn't something he could use continuously as opposed to Archer and her near constant use of her own Noble Phantasm.

At the moment, it was merely a contest of endurance between their forces. While a Reality Marble was an incredible ability, it wasn't something that could last for a long duration of time. If Waver had to guess, then Archer and Rider likely knew of this and were content on merely waiting them out until time came for Rider to dispel it.

As the Master and Servant duo contemplated on how to deal with them, high in the sky above their foes were have their own talk as well...

"How are you doing Rider? Can you still keep it up?" Atalanta asked.

"Do not fret, I'm still able to be of service."

The son of Zeus replied. Truth be told however, he expected himself to be in worse shape after using Bellerophon twice now thanks to his injuries. It was either thanks to luck or fate that he hadn't tired himself out yet. Perhaps the Gods were once again watching over him?

Perseus smirked to himself. To the person that he was right now, such an idea was laughable to say the least.

Yes, for the sake of _that person_ , he was willing to tarnish his name and become a villain much like the ones he had slayed in the past before. The irony was not lost on him, having to remind himself of the fact every now and again.

Still, if he and his allies were to succeed in their plans to bring peace to the world, then the wish that his Master had believed in would come true.

The son of Zeus would make sure of it, for that person's sake as well...

...!

A fair distance away from their location, echoes of another battle could be heard raging on.

Said battle was none other than the one between the two Lancers: Achilles and Karna. Two great heroes of their era, neither showed any signs of being weariness as they fought. Sand kicking up constantly from the sheer force of the blows traded between them.

"This is just insane..."

Atalanta couldn't help but mutter in awe. She held pride in her skill as a warrior and huntress, making a name for herself in a society dominated by men. But compared to the two warriors who were fighting right now, she couldn't help but feel humbled in comparison. Both of them truly did deserve respect, even if Lancer of Red's comments against her were rather insulting to her status.

 _'Still, how long will this keep up...?'_

* * *

"Tch, Lancer is taking his time isn't he?"

Julian asked, being updated on the current status of the battle between their forces against the group of El-Melloi through Kotomine.

"Indeed, though I suppose part of it does have something to do with Lancer of Red. Between all Servants of the alliance, he's one of the select few that is able stand against our friend." The white-haired youth replied. "Considering his level of power, I suppose Lancer can't help but enjoy himself."

"Joy has nothing to do with the situation right now, tell him to wrap it up already!" Julian demanded. "We have no time for games, the longer we drag this out the higher chances of our failure in this operation. Beatrice is currently holding against both Rider and the Homunculus, but I'd rather not risk it and let the Mirror World fall apart."

"I suppose that's true..."

Shirou smirked as he raised his hand, a Command Spell glowing atop of it. If he ordered Lancer to use one of his Noble Phantasms, there was a likely chance of him annihilating everyone in a single go. The problem was getting him into a position to use it, as Lancer of Red's shield pose problematic to the idea.

Now though, with the Adamant Hero having been distracted with Lancer, the two had moved a fair distance away from Rider's position in the Reality Marble. Even with the former's speed, there was no way for him to counter what was about to come...

 _"Lancer..."_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"It's time to end this, use Brahmastra Kundala to annihilate them."_

 _"Understood."_

* * *

...!

"Gah!"

With one hard strike, Achilles found himself skidding across the sand by Karna's attack.

As he looked up to the white-haired demigod ready to strike back, he stopped when he saw a change in the former's demeanor. Earlier his eyes had that certain glint of joy that could only be found in those who found joy in battle. He himself had it as once described by a comrade, and Karna also had it.

Right now though, there was only that emotionless gaze... one that rubbed Achilles the wrong way.

"What are you planning?" He asked, seeing no harm in doing so.

"Apologies, but I must end this conflict now."

...!

At this, a surge of mana erupted from the demigod. The amount of which shocked the Adamant Hero for a moment before he merely smirked in delight, watching the former envelop himself and his weapon in red hot flames.

"Heh, finally using your Noble Phantasm are you!?" He stated, raising his shield and bracing himself for the attack.

High above, both Atalanta and Perseus sensed what their comrade was about to do.

"Time to distance ourselves I suppose."

The latter merely stated as he spurred Pegasus to further itself away from the army. Seeing this, Iskandar, who had also sensed the rogue's Lancer's sudden surge in power, realized what was about to happen himself and quickly turned to his men.

"ALL FORCES RETREAT! DON'T ALLOW YOURSELVES TO GATHER IN A SINGLE PLACE, SCATTER YOURSELVES NOW!"

Spinning the spear around, Karna readied himself into a throwing position. Between this and hearing Rider's order to his men, Achilles realized what his opponent's true aim was.

"Shit!"

Knowing that it was already too late to stop the white-haired demigod, the Adamant Hero quickly sped away towards Rider and Waver's location hoping to make it in time.

If they died here, then any victory obtained today would be meaningless!

To Karna, seeing his foe run to the aid of his comrades was admirable. However, there was no stopping what was about to come.

 ** _"BRAHMASTRA KUNDALA!"_**

With that, the spear flew...

* * *

"It should be right around here!"

Closing in on Lancer's location, Aya and Gray turned a corner and entered another district.

...!

"Gah!"

Just as they did, a blue blur flew by them and crashed into a building much to their surprise.

Looking towards it, they realized that said blue blur was none other than Lancer himself.

"Lancer!"

"Get back!"

He exclaimed, and not long afterwards a certain black knight appeared behind the two girls, in his hands an electric pillar serving as a makeshift weapon held high and ready to be swung at the two teens.

"RAAAAAGH!"

"B-Berserker!?"

"Tch!"

...!

Moving as fast as he could, Lancer parried the strike as wind kicked up from the force alone. He followed it up with a number of consecutive strikes, pushing back the maddened warrior and sending him flying with the final one into another building. Having brought some time, he glanced at the two girls behind him.

"Now then...!"

Before they knew it, the blue-haired warrior began waving symbols in the air. Moments later, he then picked both up in his arms and quickly left the area.

In the distance, Archer smirked in amusement at Lancer's escape attempt.

"Heh, think you can-Wha!?"

...!

An explosion soon enveloped the area where the trio had just stood, enveloping it and the nearby surroundings in smoke.

"Tch, bastard managed to get away..."

The orange-haired rogue clicked his tongue in distaste. He should have taken the shot when he had the chance. He hadn't known that Lancer was capable of using magecraft. Then again, perhaps he should have considering his identity.

...

Stopping once he was sure that they were safe, Lancer slumped to the floor, grinning slightly as he turned his attention towards both Aya and Gray.

"Heh, you two sure took your sweet time getting here..."

The trio currently hid inside a building, taking care to avoid one with visible windows to the outside. Although Archer and Berserker could sense Lancer's presence as fellow Servants, they wouldn't be able to find him immediately since said ability only gave a general feel of one's whereabouts.

"Are you alright?" The blonde asked worriedly, before noticing the wound on her Servants shoulder. "Ah! You're bleeding!"

"Yeah, mind closing that up?"

Wordlessly nodding, Aya did as told and placed her hands near the blue-haired warrior's shoulder. She wasn't exactly skilled at healing practices but she knew well enough about the topic for her to use it in times like these for a momentary patch job.

As the green light on his shoulder faded, Lancer smirked in delight as he stood up.

"Alright then, time to-Urgh!"

Just as he stepped forward, the Hound of Chulainn began coughing up blood rather violently.

"Ah, what's wrong now!?"

"Damn it all, that sneaky bastard is going to pay for this...!"

"You mean Archer? What did he do to you?!"

"Poison most likely." Gray spoke up for the first time as both turned to her. "Considering that Archer-Class Servants like to fight from a distance, there's a chance that one you fought against could have used poison in one of his attacks. Moving around the way you did earlier likely accelerated its spread as well."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it actually." Lancer replied, grinning once more. "Guess you could say that I screwed up big time."

"That doesn't matter right now!" Aya retorted. "Right now, we have to figure out how to deal with Berserker and Archer!"

"Leave that to me. If I do kick the bucket, then at the very least I owe it to Archer and Berserker to take their heads when a I do." Lancer's earlier smirk returned. "Hey Ayaka, mind giving me a hand?"

Knowing what he was referring to, the blonde-haired girl merely raised her left hand. True, the situation was rather dire. Berserker's sudden appearance threw her off somewhat but it wasn't unexpected considering the circumstances. Either way, they'll just have to deal with it now.

 _'God, please help us...'_ She prayed to herself.

With that, the sigils on her forearm glowed bright red, Aya then spoke the words:

 _ **"Lancer, by the power of my Command Spell, I order you to defeat both Archer and Berserker!"**_

"Hehehe, you got it little lady."

His body reinvigorated, the Hound of Chulainn stood ready for battle.

* * *

"Damn, where did that guy get off to?"

Robin cursed as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, hoping to find out where his prey was at. He could already feel him close by, he just needed to be patient and the opportunity to strike will come. Berserker was off in another part of the area searching. While maddened, he was at least sane enough for such a task too.

 _'Still, to think that he can still stand and fight off Berserker and me after taking a direct hit from my Noble Phantasm... he's one tough bastard I'll give him that.'_

As much as it annoyed him in having to deal with Lancer, he couldn't help but respect him a bit as a result. Once this was over, maybe the two of them could catch a drink or something after Angelica and the others converted the blue-haired warrior to their side. After all, he'd be able to rest easier with someone as capable as Lancer watching his back, even if the two of them now have a bit of history with each other now.

Hell, he could even invite Saber along. That would make it a party, Knight-Class Servants united!

 _"Archer, what's your current status?"_

A certain blonde-haired woman's voice echoed inside his head. Robin didn't really know how Angelica did it, but he assumed that it was one of the powers of the Class-Cards that allowed her contact him so and thus didn't ask. No point in it after all since magecraft wasn't exactly his forte.

 _"Tracking down you know who, the big guy managed to give us the slip just now."_ He replied while continuing his search.

 _"What? You mean to tell me that Lancer still hasn't died yet?"_ Her voice asked, sounding rather incredulous at the revelation.

 _"Hey, don't blame us. I'm just as surprised as you are lady."_ The orange-haired rogue retorted. _"Lancer's one tough nut to crack, managed to fend both me and Berserker while poisoned and only look a little winded afterwards."_

 _"I see, I supposed I underestimated his worth..."_ Angelica replied. _"At any rate, I've already finished my business here. Those two girls thought to stall me with one of Rider of Red's soldiers. I'm rendezvousing with you and Berserker now. Stay put."_

 _"Hey, staying put is-"_

 _ **"GAE BOLG!"**_

...!

"Gargh!"

Before he could even realize it, his chest was pierced by a certain red spear he was already quite familiar with.

He cried out in pain, losing his step as he plummeted into the streets below. He crashed into the pavement hard enough to leave visible cracks upon it, a pool of blood forming around the orange-haired rogue.

Looking up, he saw Lancer walking towards him with a smirk on his face.

"Bastard... how did you even...!?"

"Heh, that's what you get for using the same trick over and over again."

Having realized that his foe had an ability similar to presence concealment, the blue-haired warrior had been prepared on him a tracking rune earlier using a piece of Archer's cape he ripped off during one of their earlier scuffles for the medium. With that said, the rune only enhanced his own senses to be able to determine whether or not Lancer was in the area, and it needed some time to take effect since as a Lancer magic wasn't his forte. Had he been summoned as a Caster, things might have been different.

"I'll be taking that now."

"Argh!"

Yanking out his spear, the Hound of Chulainn simply twirled it around for a moment to rid it of the blood before hefting it on his shoulder. Gazing down at the now disappearing Servant, the blue-haired warrior spoke.

"Any last words?"

"Not really... if anything, I already got what I wanted..."

Dying really was such a pain in the ass, whether he was a human or a Servant it was the same thing.

Well, compared to how kicked the bucket last time, this was a better way to go out. The ending was kinda abrupt, but he did kinda enjoy the fight with Lancer regardless. Even if he was kinda cheating, Lancer still met him and his allies head on no complaints. He never admitted it to anyone else, but he always wanted to be able to fight like that too even if just once. Too bad pragmatism carried through with him most of the time.

 _'Huh, maybe Saber was onto something that day after all..._ _Ah, too bad, and I was just starting to enjoy being with that guy...'_

He thought in that, Robin Hood faded away. Leaving behind the Class-Card on the pavement where he had laid.

Stepping forward, Lancer raised his spear and stabbed the card where it laid. Ensuring that his foe wouldn't be coming back, he took time to breathe for a moment.

"Now then, to deal with you..."

Turning around, Lancer came face to face with Berserker who merely stood in front of him and looked down upon the former. Were it not for the helmet, he was probably right in the fact that the Black Knight was glaring down upon him right now.

"So, we just gonna stand here or something?" He smirked.

...!

* * *

"Ugh, this feeling is...!"

"Hah!"

Beatrice leaped away as she avoided being struck by Rider of Black's sword. Not long afterwards, Sieg followed up his Servant's attack with a breath of fire. The red-head merely glared in annoyance at this as she clapped her hands...

...!

...The force of which was enough to disperse the flames brought out by the white-haired homunculus. The duo couldn't help but look in amazement at said act as a result.

"Hahaha~! Now that's something right there, putting out fire with just a clap of one's hands. Such a remarkable thing~!"

"Rider, please do not praise the enemy." Sieg merely asked though he too felt the same somewhat.

Beatrice didn't care for whatever they had to say. Just now, something inside her felt like it was severed.

Grinding her teeth in anger, she began stomping her foot onto the ground rapidly.

...!

The warehouse then shook violently, as though an earthquake was taking place at that moment.

"Damn that bastard! Who the hell does he think he is getting himself killed off again!? Kenny Fucking McCormick!? I'm so going to let him have it later!"

"Oh my, it looks as though something has happened to upset our friend here."

Astolfo muttered with a somewhat blank stare at the scene. It was kinda funny actually to see the girl who called herself Beatrice letting loose like a wild animal. It really did kinda remind of Saber of Red when she got mad, he wondered to himself what would happen if the two ever met...

YOU WANNA DIE YOU BASTARD!?

He flinched, the mental image of the two suddenly ganging up on him with angry looks on their faces sending a shiver down his spine. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea...

* * *

...!

The Hound of Chulainn and Black Knight resumed their battle. From a safe distance, Gray and Aya watched as the blue-haired warrior fared against the Servant of Madness. Despite the boost her received, Berserker still had the edge in close-range combat.

"What do you think Gray-san? Do you think Lancer can win this?"

"To be honest, I do not know. All we can do is put our trust in him."

Gray merely replied. She wanted to believe so, as it until her teacher, Rider of Red, and Lancer of Red arrived, Aya's Lancer was the only chance they had to stay alive right now. If not for the fact that their opponent was Berserker, she might have tried to support him herself. While she wasn't confident in taking on a Servant even with help on her side, she'd at least be able to distract them if need be.

...!

Twirling his spear, Lancer shot forward ready to strike. The Black Knight simply parried it, swinging the stone pillar in his hands as a makeshift spear. As always, despite his large build Berserker was incredibly fast and agile. Lancer knew that he needed to step up his game.

"RAAAAGH!"

"Dodge this!"

...!

Aiming low, the blue-haired warrior set up a feint hoping for Berserker to take. Luckily for him, the latter did and left him open for attack.

...!

With one hard swing, the pillar Berserker wielded broke apart and left the latter without a weapon. Seeing another chance, he quickly acted.

"You die now!"

"Grrgh!"

...!

"Wha-!?"

Before he knew it, the Black Knight caught his spear in between his elbow and knee. With one hand holding onto it tightly as a black aura suddenly began covering the weapon.

"Bastard, trying to take my weapon are you...!?"

Leaping, Lancer delivered a kick to Berserker's head resulting in the maddened warrior to release his grip on Gae Bolg. The black aura disappearing slowly as he got back into stance. Taking advantage of the former's dazed state from his kick, he repeatedly struck his foe as many times as possible.

As expected however, his strikes were at best just making minor dents on the Black Knight's armor. He wondered as to who could have made such high quality armor. Either way it didn't really matter. He just needed to hit harder!

...!

A crack could be heard, appearing on his chest piece if he was right. The black aura the Servant of Madness had made it somewhat difficult to tell.

...!

Several more started to appear. Yes, he was making progress alright, he just needed to wait for his energy to restore itself some more before he could use Gae Bolg to finish it. As much as he wanted to have some more fun with the maddened warrior, Lancer knew that he had to finish it here and now.

 _ **"By the power of my Command Spell..."**_

"Huh, that voice is...!?"

...!

Lancer's assault stopped in its tracks. A sword, dark as night and covered in a pair of chains, appeared out of nowhere and parried his thrusts into a deadlock. Strange lettering could be seen inscribed upon the blade itself, one that the blue-haired warrior recognized from somewhere.

"Angelica-san!?"

Aya and Gray looked towards the distance to see said blonde-haired woman walking down the street towards them. Her hand raised to reveal the Command Spells on her forearm glowing bright red.

 _ **"Berserker, hold nothing back and eliminate Lancer!"**_

 _ **"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!"**_

...!

With a mighty roar, the dark aura that surrounded Berserker vanished and revealed himself in his full glory. Dark armor, finely crafted from appearance alone, shone beneath the strange lights emitted by the Mirror World as he roared.

Taking a closer look at the sword, Gray froze up in realization.

"...!? But that sword is...!"

The girl muttered in shock. She had only ever read descriptions of its appearance from books her family kept, but the strange letters engraved upon the blade were enough for her to recognize it. Though blackened and this being the first time she laid eyes on it, there was no mistaking the weapon in Berserker's hand.

That sword... it was Arondight!

The Black Knight then charged, vanishing from Lancer's sight much to his shock.

"I can't see him...!?"

...!

Reacting on instinct, his body moved to intercept the incoming strike aimed at his head. He turned to his gaze to see that Berserker had managed to get behind him. How the hell did he even manage to do that!?

...!

He disappeared once more, and once more did he strike this time from a different angle. And again did he repeat these movements. It was a rather basic pattern, one that Lancer could have easily countered, but Berserker was making that difficult with his new found speed and strength. Even if he was boosted by the Command Spell, this strength was rather absurd to say the least!

"Gagh!"

He coughed slightly. Damn it all, even with Archer gone his poisoned remained. Though he could feel it slowly disappearing, it still affected his fight capability even with the boost he received from Ayaka.

"Oh no, Lancer's being pushed back...!"

Aya stated in worry, wanting to find some way to help Lancer. Should she use another Command Spell?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand being placed upon her shoulder, turning her attention towards the white-haired girl beside her staring at the blonde.

"Stay here and keep safe."

Gray muttered as she left their hiding spot and began walking towards Angelica. The latter kept note of this but decided to keep her attention towards the battle between Lancer and Berserker.

"Give it up, you know that you cannot beat me."

"I will try, otherwise I'd shame my ancestor in this battle." Gray simply replied, her scythe appearing in her hands once more.

Sighing at this, Angelica merely took out her weapons as well. She knew that the girl would try to fight against her, but she had hoped that she wouldn't as well. The blonde didn't particularly care for battle in general, just seeing it as a means to an end at best and a waste of time at worst.

"Very well then, I'll deal with you first before I deal with the Tohsaka girl."

"I will not let that happen!"

...!

* * *

...!

As Mordred closed the distance between the two of them yet again and ready to strike at the black-haired archer, a resounding boom was heard by the two Servants as they looked into the distance. Both quickly leaped out of the way as a blast of air went by them, destroying numerous trees and carving a long path along the ground.

"There you are!"

Above them, the two looked up to see a familiar looking girl with reddish pink hair floating in the air thanks to the dragon wings on her back.

"Tch! Watch it would you!? I was nearly caught up in that attack!" Mordred yelled.

Said girl was none other than Berserker of Black, in one hand was her spear and the other her Master. She then floated down beside the blonde, dropping Caules to the ground much to the young man's chagrin, and directed an apologetic look towards the red knight while smiling and sticking her tongue out.

"Ahaha, my bad~" She stated. "I was aiming at the stripper woman behind you is all~"

"What!?"

Turning around, Mordred quickly saw the person Berserker was referring to.

"Ugh... that was too close."

Kneeling on the ground trying to pick herself up was Assassin, the skull mask wearing girl cautiously picking up her daggers as she readied herself. At this, Arash went over to his ally, not taking his aim of either Saber or Berserker.

"You alright Assassin? I didn't realize you were there until you appeared."

"I'm fine." The Hassan of Serenity replied. "Compared to having fought against Saber, Berserker of Black is someone I can handle."

"That's rude, I'm standing right here!" Elizabeth huffed in annoyance as she crossed her arms.

"Hey now, don't let them get to you." Caules said.

"Regardless, I felt that it was a bit troubling to just leave you to deal with Saber. So I decided to aid you which led me here."

"You couldn't act when I had Saber pinned to that rock?"

"Not with her armor on, no."

While all of this went on, Mordred wondered to herself just when on earth did Assassin arrive. Dammit, she was so invested in her fight with Archer, so sure that she could defeat him by herself, that she didn't even ponder to think that Assassin might have waiting in the shadows for a chance to strike. Such a careless mistake!

 _You think too highly of yourself..._

...!

The Red Knight froze up, Ruler's words from earlier now at the forefront of her mind.

"...mn it..."

"Huh?"

Arash looked on in curiosity as he heard the blonde mumble to herself as her eyes were hidden beneath her bangs.

"...not true...!"

"Saber...?"

Caules questioned as she continued to mumble, feeling somewhat nervous and so too did Berserker from the looks of it. Both Master and Servant wondered to themselves what the blonde was going on about.

However, they needn't wait long for an answer...

"DAMN IT ALL IT'S NOT TRUE!"

...!

The others quickly braced themselves as an incredible surge of energy erupted from the Knight of Treachery, red lightning beginning to spew out from her sword as she slowly raised it and held it close.

"I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT WOMAN TO BE RIGHT, SHE CANNOT BE RIGHT!" She exclaimed much to their confusion. "I'LL KILL YOU BOTH RIGHT HERE AND NOW! _I'LL PROVE HER WRONG_ , _**THAT I CAN AND WILL SURPASS MY FATHER!**_ "

"What's gotten into her!?"

Caules questioned as he struggled to stand as Saber's sudden rage shook the earth itself. From the looks of it, she was about to use her Noble Phantasm!

"Berserker, take us up!"

"R-Right!"

Taking her Master into her arms, Elizabeth flew up got clear of her ally's range. Mordred merely smirked at this, seeing as how she couldn't sense the presence of anyone else, all that meant was that she had no reason to hold back anymore now that her allies were clear as well.

"Damn it, if that's the case...!"

Arash began, knowing what was about to happen. He turned towards Assassin.

"Excuse me!"

"Wha...!"

Picking her up with one arm, Arash leaped back a fair distance away from their foe. After settling her down, he then aimed his bow high as magical energy began to gather within it. Right now, he had no choice but utilize that!

If Saber of Red was anything like her father, then the black-haired hero had a good idea of what her Noble Phantasm was going to do. Regardless of that, he didn't know what would happen if he were to unleash his Noble Phantasm against it and what it would do to their current surroundings.

 _'Still...'_

"Assassin!" He called out. "Get as far away from here as you can!"

"W-What!?"

The Hassan of Serenity said, still somewhat dazed by Archer's sudden previous action... Wait, it wasn't the time to think like that!

"Saber's about to unleash her Noble Phantasm." Arash stated as he smiled. "Better that only one of us survives this fight wouldn't you agree?"

Pausing for a moment, Assassin pondered her comrade's words. As much as she disliked the idea, part of her knew that Archer had a point. Between the two of them, he was the only one who could possibly stand against Saber of Red's power.

"I'll leave it to you then. Good luck."

She stated softly. With that, Assassin de-materialized into spirit form.

"Hah! As though running away would do her any good. After I'm done with you, I'll personally put Assassin to death myself!"

While saying that, the Knight of Treachery got into form raising Clarent above her shoulders with a manic grin on her face.

Arash merely grinned at this himself. Though it will end in his death, he was curious to see how the daughter of the Knight King he had both fought against and alongside with would fare against his next attack. Even if his Master wouldn't approve, a part of him told the black-haired archer to go through with it regardless.

Still, another part of him felt a little disappointed in disappearing like this so soon like this. Either way...

 _ **"CLARENT..."**_

"No regrets I suppose..."

Arash muttered with a smile, raising his bow and aiming the arrow directly at the Knight of Treachery. Golden traces of light emanating from the tip of his arrow, glowing as bright as the sun that shone above them.

 _ **"...BLOOD ARTHUR!"**_

Blood red lightning released itself from Clarent's blade, bursting towards the black-haired archer as he spoke one word.

 _ **"STELLA!"**_

With that, the arrow was released...

"Hmph, what a farce...!"

A voice called out, one that Mordred knew all too well.

...!

* * *

"Ahahaha~!"

"Hah!"

...!

Sword clashing against spear, Siegfried and Brynhild continued their battle against one another as Fiore and Kairi watched in amazement. Both could barely keep up with the two Servants movements as they fought, appearing little more than blurs in their eyes along with the occasional sparks flying between their weapons.

Their surroundings slowly began to deteriorate thanks to the ongoing battle. Trees were cut down or uprooted, the earth cracking beneath the Dragon-Slayer and Valkyrie as they exuded incredible amounts of force in their strikes. The two Masters had to take cover a little distance away just to be safe.

"Yes, that's it. Come at me more~!"

"...!"

...!

Despite being boosted by three Command Spells, Siegfried was in disbelief at the fact that Lancer had been keeping up with him. It was insane really, and he couldn't decide if it was good or bad. One part of him was enjoyed to fighting against such a strong foe, the other terrified that said strong foe also happened to be... unstable to say the least.

And once more, he would need to settle it soon. In spite of his increased strength, his opponent was again slowly becoming stronger as they fought.

 _"My apologies Master, but I have a request to make..."_

 _"H-Huh?"_ Fiore was surprised when she suddenly heard Saber calling out to her. _"What is it Saber?"_

 _"I ask that you and Sir Kairi to distance yourselves further from this place. I fear that in order to end this fight, I will have to unleash my Noble Phantasm against Lancer. She's growing stronger by the minute. My apologies but even with your Command Spells I will be no match for her if this fight were to prolong itself."_

 _"I see... very well then."_

...!

"Ah!"

Brynhild came to a grinding halt as she stopped her assault, leaping away a fair distance out of caution when she saw Sigurd-No, Saber of Black emanating a vast sum of mana. His sword, the blade known as Balmung, glowed a light blue as energy swirled around it, the Dragon-Slayer lifting it over his shoulders as he stared calmly at the Valkyrie.

"Mr. Shishigou!"

"Huh? What the-!?"

Before Kairi knew it, Fiore activated her Mystic Code and hefted him up with one of her mechanical limbs. Looking towards Siegfried, she called out to him.

"Saber, please stay safe!"

"Understood."

With that, the young head of the Yggdmillennia Clan got away from the area together with necromancer, the latter yelling out obscenities about his somewhat humiliating position to the girl who simply ignored them.

Brynhild merely smiled at this. So he really was planning on utilizing his Noble Phantasm, and he likely asked his Master and her compatriot to leave the area on the chance they were consumed by the fallout. She couldn't help but shiver slightly as a result.

 _'Such consideration for others... just like Sigurd.'_

"Ehehehe~!"

Giggling to herself in delight, the daughter of Odin leaped into the sky above. Floating in the air as she looked down upon Saber of Black.

"Love. Hate. _Love. Hate. Love._ **_Love. Love, Love, Love..."_**

Able to hear this from where he stood, Siegfried silently wondered to himself as to what Lancer was doing when the answer came to him...

...!

"What!?"

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Kairi cried out as he saw what was happening.

As Lancer repeated her mantra over and over again, the spear in her hands quickly grew in size. Before anyone knew it, it was about the size of a small hill. Compared to it, the teal-haired Valkyrie might as well would have been an ant.

Twirling the gigantic weapon around, Lancer pointed it directly at Siegfried. Just how in the world was she even able to wield such a thing so easily!?

...!

Blue light began emanating from the spear's tip. At this, Siegfried readied himself as he felt what was coming.

 _ **"BRYNHILD ROMANTIA!"**_

The Valkyrie cried out, diving towards the Dragon-Slayer at frightening speeds cloaked in blue energy.

 _ **"BALMUNG!"**_

The Phantasmal Greatsword roared, energy bursting forth in a wide arc.

"Hah! Such a spectacle this fight has been, but that's enough of that!"

"Ah!"

Brynhild cried out in surprise, snapping out of her madness when she heard an all too familiar voice.

...!

* * *

"Why don't you two just die!?"

Beatrice demanded from her two foes who stood apart from her catching their breaths.

As much as she hated the idea of admitting it, dealing with both Rider and his Master together was more than she could handle. Damn it, who the hell decided to turn the homunculus pretty boy into a semi-dragon!? She'd punch them if she could!

...!

"W-What the...!?"

Something suddenly began happening to her. A weird glow had surrounded her body, a surge of energy erupting from her now and again.

"What's happening?" Astolfo stated eyes full of curiosity.

"We're about to find out." Sieg simply stated.

With that, a bright flash emanated from Beatrice. Soon enough it died down, to reveal a rather unexpected sight.

"Huh? What the hell...!?"

As soon as the red-head opened her eyes, she saw a card floating right in front of her. It was none other than the Berserker-Card that she had used to fight against both Rider of Black and his Master just now, just why was it floating there...? A time limit? Damn it!

"Oh, oh my..."

The paladin's voice caught her attention. Gritting her teeth, she readied herself.

"What's wrong!? Come and get me if you want! Even without the card, there's no way I'm letting you guys rip that thing out!" She exclaimed, pointing to card placed on the pillar behind her. "If you want it, you gotta go through me!"

...

...

...

Silence reigned after her little speech, it was a rather disturbing one at that. Why the hell were they just standing there?

...!

A chill ran up her spine. Why was it so cold all of a sudden...? Huh!?

Wait a minute...!

Touching herself without looking, she realized one thing...

"W-W-W-WHAT THE HEEEEEEELLLL...!?"

"Please go to sleep punch~!"

...!

"Gack!"

Closing the distance and with one strong hit, Astolfo knocked Beatrice out cold. Laying her softly on the ground, he took off his cape and laid it over the maiden who was now uncovered for some strange reason...

"That's no good, even if you are trying to seduce us, a girl shouldn't be running around naked you know~?"

"No, I don't think she was planning on that at all..."

Sieg quipped, having no real thoughts about the matter aside from how bizarre it was. Then again, he was a homunculus after all. It wasn't really his place to judge human fashion choices, at least not until he experienced the concept himself. That's what Rider had said to him anyway...

"Now then..."

Walking over towards the stone pillar, he placed a hand over the Class-Card and ripped it off.

* * *

"Gah...!"

Semiramis flinched back as she felt her spell being broken rather forcefully. An angry glare formed on her face as she realized what that meant.

 _'Damn it all, so Rider of Black and that homunculus master of his succeeded...?!'_

* * *

"With this, whatever magecraft they were doing should now be dispelled."

"Hmm..."

Astolfo mumbled as he walked over and inspected the card in his Master's hand, a smile growing on his face as a thought quickly came to mind.

"Say, do you think that this thing could summon another Servant to our side?"

"I don't think that would be possible." Sieg simply replied as he pocketed the card into his shirt. "From what I remember, Miss Tohsaka said that cards with blank images such as this do not contain a Heroic Spirit and as such cannot be used."

"Eeeh, that's too bad~" The young paladin stuck his tongue out in displeasure. "Here I thought we could get more allies with-"

He paused, feeling a chill up his spine as a familiar sensation went up it.

...!

"Wha-!?"

Before the two even knew it, bright light covered their vision.

"Curse it all, we were too late!"

"It doesn't matter, grab the girl and let's leave!"

Two voices called out, one male and one female. Footsteps and glass being broken could be heard, Sieg and Astolfo stood together with their backs turned to each other.

However, by the time the light died out and their vision returned to them, the girl that they had just fought had disappeared along with the card that she was just using. Both were now the only ones left inside the warehouse.

"Was it Assassin of Black...?" Sieg asked, trying to regain his bearings.

"I-I think so..."

The pinkette muttered as he looked around, having recognized the voice as belonging to one of the personas that he had personally met before, Zayd he called himself if his memory served right. It likely was him and another one of his personas, as he sensed the presence of two Servants just as the bright light blinded them both.

...!

There, another sensation lit up inside both Master and Servant's minds. It wasn't the presence of a Servant this time that alerted the two. Rather, it was something different.

"Let's go," Sieg stated. "Whatever spell they were performing over the area is now starting to break down."

"Alright then, let's go find the others and go home~!"

With that, the duo finally left the area themselves.

* * *

...!

"Huh...!?"

Gray and Angelica paused in their battle when suddenly the sound of glass breaking could be heard all around the area.

"W-What is this...!?" Aya exclaimed in shock as she saw the sky tearing itself apart.

"Tch, so we're out of time!"

Angelica clicked her tongue before turning her attention towards Lancer and Berserker, both of whom had stopped as well to observe the phenomena around them.

"Berserker! Finish him now!"

With that, the Black Knight's attention returned to the blue-haired warrior in front of him as he raised his sword high. The latter reacting quickly to intercept the former's resumed assault. A fierce trade of blows ensuing, with neither letting up.

Still, even if with Berserker having become stronger than him...

"AS IF...!"

...!

"I'D DIE...!"

...!

"TO THE LIKES OF YOU...!"

...!

Successfully parrying each strike the Black Knight threw at him, he managed to get his foe to flinch and reveal an opening. Mustering whatever strength he had left, the Hound of Chulainn held his spear at the ready and cried out.

 _'There...!'_

 _ **"GAE BOLG!"**_

...!

"Gargh!"

Gray and Aya watched on in shock. Just now, what in the world happened...!?

Eyeing the several red tipped spears bursting out of his chest cavity and partially buried in the Black Knight's armor, the blue-haired warrior had no words to describe what he was feeling right now. Instead, he just turned his gaze behind to look a the cause.

There, floating behind him was diamond shaped portal of light. Turning his attention forward again, he noticed that his spear had entered another similar shaped portal as well. What the hell was going on...?

"That was too close..."

Angelica muttered, her hand raised having poured everything she could to ensure her spell succeeded. It was a miracle that even worked at all...!

"Berserker, finish him."

With that, Berserker raised his sword...

...!

"LANCER!"

* * *

"Ah...!"

Jeanne gasped aloud as she stared into space, placing a hand over her chest as she felt something wrong.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

Arthur asked worriedly. The two currently sat inside the living room of the Sajyou Estate. Both were discussing matters regarding the Rogue Faction and Manaka when suddenly the blonde-haired girl began looking something had struck her deep.

"N-No, I'm fine." She quickly stated with a wave of her hand. "It's just that, something's happened..."

"What do you mean?" The young man inquired.

"It's Rider of Red, his presence... I can't feel it anymore!"

"...!?"

* * *

"Now then, I suppose that marks the beginning of the end."

Sitting alone in the middle of a garden was a single person dressed in white. Walls of great size and scope surrounded the garden as well, stretching high well above the ground. To the point that one could not make out if the complex even had a ceiling built.

Light shone down through the windows, something that the figure was grateful for since it gave off a pleasant feeling whenever she basked in it. Yes, such simple pleasures were the best at times. How she missed being able to do such things.

Gazing towards one of said windows, the hood falling off to reveal the face of a rather beautiful woman.

"I wonder, who will succeed? Will it be the Savior who seeks salvation?"

He who had been executed at a young age, a hero who died for a cause that damned his existence from the beginning...

"The Goddess who seeks the Hero's favor?"

She who had been betrayed by her beloved, a maiden who died trying to fulfill her prince's dearest wish...

"Or will it be the group of Champions that defy both?"

Those who succumbed to or defied fate, heroes of old once enemies to each other now gathered under one banner for a common cause...

"In all my life, this is perhaps a first that I've come to witness such a turn of events. I can't even tell who'll succeed..."

Standing up, the woman began walking through the garden. Having decided to take a stroll to pass the time, as not much else could be done when she in her current state. With that said, the most peculiar thing happened as she did so...

"Then again, I suppose I should be rooting for him anyway." She shrugged.

With each step taken by the woman, the ground beneath them suddenly bloomed with flowers as well. Stopping, she knelt down to pick one up and smell it.

"Hehe~"

Yes, though artificially grown, they always had that fragrance that came from blossoms that bloomed during spring. It was an ability that she was rather proud of to have.

And that boy, the one she had taken on as a pupil so long ago had praised it as well. Calling it a wonderful skill for a magus to be able to create life. Such youthful naivete to call such a simple trick as such, but it was one that she loved to care for and tease all those years ago...

"Arthur, don't disappoint me now~"

The time was coming soon, and the question was whether or not her dear pupil and the saint he paired up with would be able to weather the coming storm. They along with the allies that they've gathered amongst the Red and Black Factions.

 _'Well, I suppose I could give them a hand...'_

* * *

 _ **FATE/MAGNUS BELLUM**_

 _ **ACT II:**_

 _ **SHIFTING STAGES**_

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

Well now, finally managed to put this up. As stated before, I wasn't able to update in the past few months due to RL business. Sorry about XP At any rate, another reason is that though I said before it would probably be longer, I decided to end the current act at twelve chapters as well. (Minus the extra chapter of course)

In this chapter, originally it was going to split between two chapters but I decided to mash into one in order to wrap things up for the current battle, with the fallout being dealt with next time. As a result, it'll likely come off as rushed work and need some rewrites, if it comes to that anyway and trust me I'll do them, but for now I apologize if they're not up to par since I just wanted to get this chapter out already thanks to how long it has been. Again, if there are some problems that need to be edited, mostly spelling problems and the like, please let me know. But if it's about the fight scenes no comment XD Sorry but again not my forte even though I try my hardest XP

Also, note that most events in this chapter more or less happen near the exact same time of one another. Just to avoid in confusion in those who couldn't keep up is all :)

Regarding the Cu's magic bit, just roll with it. I didn't really know how to implement his rune thing for a while since I'm still trying figure its place in the story. And the bit with Beatrice at the end, chalk it up to me wanting to write something funny to release some of the tension in writing this chapter XD And as to why she's capable enough to stand against an Astolfo/Sieg combo, it's because Astolfo isn't that powerful of a Servant to begin with and Sieg is still settling in on his Dragon Powers. On the other hand, the HS Install Beatrice used is that of a powerful hero in comparison, strong enough that she'd be able to take on both at the same time though not without effort.

As for Angelica's portals and Gae Bolg; I doubt that would actually work in the actual canon but I worked it in that when he thrusted forward, Angelica redirected the attack by opening up a portal in front of him where the attack entered and opened up the exit just behind him. So he more or less stabbed himself with Gae Bolg as the spear tried to stab Lancelot. If the thrown version was used however, her little stunt would most definitely fail. Might be poor reasoning, but that's what I came up with XP

Lastly, regarding the recent revelations about Fou in FGO. I'm not going to say anything to avoid spoiling those who don't know yet, but I will say that thanks to it, his importance in FMB has changed as a result. It may or may not affect the plot depending on whether or not I go through with my ideas, but I did I think I've found a way to somewhat justify a number of things related to the matter. As to what they are, no comment for now since I'm going to be spending some time on break in order to figure out how to write the next arc in the future.

Also, I'll just come out and say it: Merlin finally makes another appearance in the end. After much debating with myself, I decided to go with the Prototype-version (In where he's a female) instead of the FSN one and as such edited earlier chapters to be in-line with this by trying to make it gender-neutral as possible. Reason for this is because the opportunities for comedy are just too great to ignore XD Expect something glorious in the future folks XD

* * *

 _ **For the guest reviewers who made statements/questions last time:**_

 _ **Pluto iii:**_ I'm using Fate/Extra as one of the basis for KoW's general plot. So Nero is going to be included for sure, along with the other two members of the Extra Trinity. Yes, that basically means that I'm bringing in EMIYA and bringing back Tamamo as well.

 _ **Cain:**_ If you want you could put it there yourself or ask someone else. I mostly try to restrict myself these days unless it's just for basic edits for the trope page. And honestly, no comment regarding the Kiritsugu matter since I am not even focusing on KoW anytime soon. And questions like that should answer themselves. As for Alice, she'll likely appear in KoW since I'm using Aoko in her teenage years as well.

 _ **Kratos:**_ I'm not really answering that since honestly I see no point. And again, not focusing on KoW anytime soon. So unless it's about character appearances no comment.

 _ **No one:** _ Not really. I wanted Richard because he's a King Arthur fanboy, looks like his idol in terms of the Proto-version, has a combination of Excalibur and Knight of Honor for a an NP and can control the output, and the fact that he's basically Arthur and Iskandar rolled into one package of fun :D Also, Lucius Tiberius only came about in canon only after I had already chosen Richard, and honestly see no more point in bringing in anymore Arthurian characters than whom I already have. Might as well call FMB the story of "King Arthur and his Friends" at that point. Which may or may not have happened already in the actual narrative XD

* * *

That's it for now. Again, happy new year and please review :D


	26. Act III-25: Aftermath

_**AN:**_ Here's Chapter 25 everyone, hope you all enjoy it. This chapter is basically a recap of what happened last time, so nothing big really happens aside from two flashbacks which extended beyond what I had initially plannede. Please review as it helps to inspire me to write :D

* * *

 _ **"BRAHMASTRA KUNDALA!"**_

Calling out the name of his Noble Phantasm, Karna threw his spear high into the sky.

Seeing this, the King of Conquerors knew what was coming. From the moment Lancer had readied himself he could tell just what type of Noble Phantasm he was up against, the power that flowed from it could easily be felt. He didn't think that Lancer would actually use it however, not when there was a chance he himself being caught in the blast radius.

 _"Boy..."_

Knowing what he had to do, he telepathically called out towards his Master.

 _"I know, Rider..."_

Waver gritted his teeth. As much as he wanted to, there wasn't anything they could do. Even if Rider were to release his Reality Marble now it wouldn't have done anything to stop the incoming attack. Even with the speed of Achilles, he wouldn't be able to reach them in time either.

Right now, there was only one thing he could think of. And he didn't like it one bit...

 _"Let me say this, I'm proud to have fought along side you my friend. And I would gladly do so again. Be sure to keep your head held high after this Master, for our comrades will need your aid now more than ever."_

 _"Don't be foolish, I'm not your Master..."_

He scoffed, taking one last moment glance at the large man beside him once more.

 _"I am your subject, and you are my King."_

That made him pause for a moment. How strange it was, meeting the man before him as he did. To him, it was the first time he had met Waver Velvet, a stern yet reasonable practitioner of magecraft, but to his surprise it was the second time for Waver already. As described by him, they had once fought together back in another grail war years ago but eventually lost. That got him quite curious, and he was able to see what happened back then through the memories of his Master.

Still, memories could only go so far. It wasn't able to capture what the Iskander of that time felt in regards to his then young Master. But seeing the type of man he was today, compared to the man he was back then, he couldn't help but feel proud looking at the man known as Waver Velvet. He knew that his other self would feel the same as well.

After all, he was him. So he would know best.

"Heh... Hehehahaha!"

He laughed. Even with the incoming attack headed their way, he couldn't help it. Truly, what a person his Master had become compared to the young man he was.

Glancing at the long-haired man, the King of Conquerors spoke for the final time.

"Very well, Live on Waver Velvet. That is my command as your King, and as your friend."

"Yes!"

...!

With that, Brahmastra Kundala struck.

* * *

 _ **FATE/MAGNUS BELLUM**_

 _ **ACT III**_

 _ **Chapter 25:**_

 _ **Aftermath**_

* * *

"I see, so Rider was..."

Gathered inside the Sajyou Manor living room were Jeanne, Arthur, Sieg and Waver. It was now late in the afternoon, the latter having just returned together with Gray, Aya, Achilles, Sieg and Astolfo. With the blonde having collapsed before reaching the manor, the snow-haired girl decided to take the latter up to her room to rest. The others on the other hand decided to go out on a small patrol for the time being around the area, leaving Waver and Sieg as they recounted the day's events that happened to their group.

"Yes, just before Karna's Noble Phantasm struck, Rider sent both myself and Lancer out of the Reality Marble." He sighed, massaging his forehead as he tried to relax. "That guy, deciding that without even thinking about it. Even if there was no helping it I suppose..."

"Lord El-Melloi, I'm so sorry to hear that..."

Jeanne began, having no idea on what to say to the man who sat across from her.

Rider of Red... No, Iskandar's lost was a big one. From a tactical standpoint, they had just lost one of their biggest assets in the war. Bringing to their arsenal a rather powerful Noble Phantasm that could turn the tide of any battle so long as they played their cards right. She had suspected as much that was what his Noble Phantasm would be, summoning the army that he once commanded in life, as there was no other thing that really came to mind when it came to the King of Conquerors.

The idea of him falling in battle...

She hadn't known him long, but that wasn't to say she didn't grieve his loss as a person. Even though she was Ruler, a force who was suppose to be neutral in regards to the participants of the Holy Grail War, she couldn't help it. As such, the young saint could only apologize to Waver in response.

"No need." Waver began as he shook his head and crossed his arms. "There's no point in crying over spilled milk, we already knew the risks when we decided to head out the way we did. Myself, Rider, and including the others as well."

"I know, but perhaps if Arthur and I accompanied you all, we could have..."

Arthur himself silently nodded at this. Though he was still recovering from his incursion with the Rogue Saber known as Richard the Lionheart, he was still capable enough in a fight. He had suffered through worse after all.

He also felt that he had a debt to the King of Conquerors that needed to be paid. For being among those to help open his eyes somewhat. A small debt to some, but to him it brought new perspective to his life. Alas, the white knight could no longer do that. A feeling of frustration coming over him as he realized it.

"You both were needed here." Waver simply replied. "We've only recently established ourselves in this city, we needed people to guard this place while Caster fortified it. We never know when the enemy could strike after all, and I doubt that they don't already know where we are."

Jeanne merely sighed at this, knowing that he had a point. She supposed that regardless of what happened they just had to deal with it.

"At any rate, not long after we were back in the Mirror Realm, we saw that it was beginning to collapse. Sieg here can fill you in on that."

"Yes." Sieg spoke up for the first time. "While we were trying to find the others, I sensed strange magic occurring in the area. Shortly afterwards, Rider and I stumbled upon a isolated warehouse, where we encountered a strange girl who somehow managed to feel both like a human and a Servant."

"What? Are you sure?" Jeanne asked, this was news to her.

"Yes, it somehow reminded me of you Ruler. But in a different way I suppose."

Sieg replied. It was already common knowledge among the group about the young saint's special condition, in how she was currently possessing a human body in order to exist. Jeanne herself having decided to reveal said knowledge to them, seeing it as a sign of trust on her part.

"Her presence as a Servant was weaker compared to yours, the human half was more dominant in a way."

"I see, did you managed to find out why she was like that?" Waver asked.

"My apologies, but I wasn't able to." Sieg lowered his head at his failure. "However, I believe it has something to do with the Cards as when she suddenly lost her powers midway a class card appeared in the process. Unfortunately we weren't able to retrieve as someone, Assassin of Black I believe, arrived and rescued her before we could examine the card ourselves. I did however retrieve this before we regrouped with you all."

Taking out a card from his hands, Sieg passed it on to Waver.

"This was the Card that was holding in place the Mirror Realm. Or at the very least, I believe that it's one of them. There might have been more."

"Hmm, good work. Regardless of what happened with that girl, taking down the Mirror Realm was exactly what we needed to get away."

Waver smiled in gratitude towards the young homunculus, who was somewhat taken aback by this but simply nodded in response.

"I take it you're going to examine it?" Jeanne asked.

"With Caster's help of course, we'll need her magical expertise to get an understanding of what went on." Waver replied as he held up the card. "Don't worry, we'll take the necessary precautions. If this thing turns to be a trap, we'll get rid of it quickly."

"That's all I ask. We'll need to be careful now more than ever since we lost Rider and Lancer." Jeanne stated. "Speaking of which, how did we lose Lancer?"

Jeanne asked, changing the topic. As a Class-Card Servant, she couldn't sense Lancer's presence as the mediator of the Holy Grail War. She could detect his presence as a Servant thanks to her privileges, but not as a participant of the war itself.

So when the group returned without his presence as well, she immediately knew that the worst had happened.

"I don't know all the details, Gray can fill you in on that. But apparently-"

"Allow me to explain things."

Turning towards the source of the voice, the trio looked to see Gray standing at the entrance to the room.

"How is she?"

Arthur asked, the snow-haired girl directing her attention towards her ancestor as she spoke.

"Resting. Her grandmother is tending to her right now."

"I see..."

Everyone merely nodded in understanding at this. Despite her knowledge of magecraft, Aya was mostly an ordinary girl. No, that wasn't right. Even with her knowledge of magecraft she hadn't been part of something so dangerous as the Holy Grail War before in her life. It was only natural to assume that, with Lancer's death atop everything else she's experienced, it was only a matter of time before the stress got to her one way or another.

"Anyway, you were saying Gray...?"

The girl nodded and sat beside her teacher on the sofa. With that, the girl spoke.

"First, myself and Aya were headed to rendezvous with Lancer when we were ambushed by a woman named Angelica. We managed to gave her the slip but we then found Lancer being overwhelmed by both Berserker and Archer. Not long afterwards, Aya issued a Command Spell in order for Lancer to win, and he managed to take down Archer as a result. Lancer made sure to destroy Archer's card."

"Good work, that means one less problem for us to deal with." Waver nodded in approval. "At least Lancer managed to deal them a loss of their own."

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that." Gray shook her head in response. "Not long afterwards Sieg and Rider broke the spell sustaining the Mirror Realm, the woman named Angelica, ordered Berserker to finish Lancer, and he produced a strange looking sword."

Looking towards Arthur specifically, she continued.

"A sword... bearing the same markings of the fairies as Excalibur."

Jeanne widened her eyes in realization whereas Arthur merely narrowed his in response. Waver, taking note of both their reactions, remained silent as he watched and listened. That statement alone implied a great deal of the identity of the Rogue Berserker.

"I see, I've had my suspicions for a time now, that Berserker might have been someone I knew well from the past."

All of it was clear now. From the day they first fought, Berserker suddenly going after him like the madman he was instead of going after Jeanne, his target at the time. The second time interfering his duel with Mordred that one night, going into a rage as he focused on his daughter. The third time during the assault on Yggdmillennia Castle, where Berserker was headed straight for him before being intercepted by Archer of Red.

Though all of these things could have simply been attributed to the madness common to the Berserker-Class, there was something unnatural about Berserker the moment he first laid his eyes on him. There was insanity, and just full-on rage and hatred. Both of which he had already experienced to the point he could tell either apart, and there was no mistaking that the Black Knight was of the latter category in regards to him and Mordred. Not to mention the general familiarity he exuded when they fought. Guinevere's words to him the other day reinforcing the belief that he could have been someone he knew.

With that, he finally came to a conclusion.

"With what I've witnessed of him and what you've said just now, I can only think of one person who could fit Berserker's description..."

Looking towards Gray, Arthur spoke.

"It's Lancelot... correct?"

Gray wordlessly nodded in response.

"Yes, the sword he used was none other than Arondight."

"Well now, that's surprising."

Waver muttered as he leaned back. He wasn't surprised by Berserker's identity per say, but rather the fact that three of the most well known figures of Arthurian Legend were all taking part in the same Holy Grail War. He couldn't tell if it was supposed to be fate or a complete coincidence that brought all three together.

"I see. So then, what happened next?"

Jeanne asked, getting the subject back on track and wanting to avoid it discussing it for now.

"Lancer fought as best he could, but Berserker was stronger at the time. He tried using his Noble Phantasm, but that woman Angelica performed a strange spell that somehow managed to redirect it. And that... was what eventually ended it."

"Wait what? What kind of spell?" Waver questioned, this being the first time he heard of it.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe that it's something we've seen before, but something completely new."

Gray replied to her teacher as the latter simply crossed his arms in frustration. In addition to the Class-Cards and the Mirror World, the Ainsworth's now had a spell that managed to counter something like Gae Bolg? He needed to find out more about the family once he had the chance. Even the smallest detail would help them greatly.

 _'Would Fiore know more about them? No, she said that the only one who really knew anything was Darnic. Damn it...'_

"With Lancer dead, I decided that it was time to escape with Aya." Gray continued. "It wasn't easy, but we managed to do it. Likely because that woman Angelica had been targeting Lancer from the beginning."

"To take his card..." Waver muttered, not liking the possibility of facing off against Cu Chulainn in the future. "At any rate, not long after that we found the girls together and Sieg and Rider found us. After that the rest is history."

"I see..."

Jeanne muttered to herself, taking a deep breath and feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the recent news she had received so far. Smiling, she gazed at the others and spoke.

"Either way, I'm glad that you all at least managed to come back safe. Regardless of what's happened today, we still have a chance of victory."

Sieg turned his gaze towards the young saint at this. Did she really just say that?"

"Pardon me, but why do you say that Ruler?" He asked, curiosity in his eyes, as he spoke up. "We've lost two of our Servants already while our enemies may have likely gained another in turn, yet you do not seem to be bothered?"

By all accounts, Ruler should have been acting worried just like the rest of them. Yet she somehow managed to remain calm and believe in the chance of victory for their side despite what had happened.

It was true that they still had the three Sabers, Lancer of Red, Archer of Red, Berserker of Black, Rider of Black, Caster of Black and Ruler herself as part of their forces, yet they were at a disadvantage by the mere fact that they had two sets of enemies to deal with. The Rogue Faction and the group led by the girl called Manaka Sajyou if he remembered correctly. And this wasn't going into some of the strange abilities their enemies exhibited.

So why? Why did she believe that they could still win...?

Jeanne simply smiled at the young homunculus, taking note of the meaning behind the look in his eyes as she replied.

"Indeed, I do feel worried. I truly cannot say for certain what will happen in the future, and there might be a chance that we all perish in this conflict and fail in our task. Still, no matter what tomorrow holds, no matter the challenges we face or how hard the situation, we shall rise up and face them. Even if we do not wish it to be so, to be alive is to face hardship. That is what it means to live, do you understand now?"

"Y-Yes, I suppose so..."

Sieg nodded, somewhat taken aback by the young saint's words.

So it wasn't that she wasn't afraid, rather she was but decided to cast aside those fears in order to move forward. Indeed, he felt some truth to them. The young homunculus believed he had experienced such a thing when he chose to deny Assassin of Black's attempt on his life and his comrades.

Back then, he made a decision. In order to live, he chose to fight didn't he? He didn't know that if he would have lived past his encounter with Assassin, all he wanted was to live. Him and his fellow homunculi. As such, he retaliated against the traitorous Servant.

Yes, that time... now that he though about it, it was the first time he really acted out didn't he...? Then, was that the moment he truly started to live?

"Thank you Ruler, you've given me a new perspective."

"You're welcome Sieg." The young saint smiled in response before turning to look at the others. "And regardless of what we may face, I believe that so long as we all hold fast together, we can overcome anything."

At this, Arthur couldn't help but smile in Jeanne's direction. The words she had said could have been spoken by anyone in the room, but with his Master it was a genuine statement of her beliefs. One could feel the complete sincerity in her voice, that she honestly believed as such without so much as a hint of hesitation in her tone even despite acknowledging their current situation herself.

She truly was an admirable young woman. Beautiful, dignified, and strong willed. One who held fast to her beliefs even despite the opposition she faced and with a kind heart open to those in need. Lately, he had been wondering something...

 _'Had she been there to support me as well... I wonder what might have happened back then?'_

He found himself smiling in amusement at this, imagining some of the things that the young saint might do to him and others.

"Hmph, what's with that stupid smile on your face?"

A voiced snapped him out of his thought as he looked towards the entrance to the living room.

There stood Mordred, hands on her hips as she glared at her father. Beside her entering the room as well were Kairi, Reines, and Gilgamesh.

"Shishigou! Reines!" Waver called out in relief at the sight of the duo. "Where are the others?"

"Resting." Kairi spoke before smirking. "And don't worry, I don't mean permanently. The siblings tired themselves out so Saber of Black and Berserker took them to their rooms first. They'll be down when they're ready, they just need a little time to rest is all."

"That's good to hear."

Jeanne spoke up in relief, smiling as she realized that at least the former's group came back without casualties. She wasn't sure what they would have done had they lost anybody else after the King of Conquerors and Cu Chulainn.

"Did anything happen to you all while you were out?" Jeanne asked.

"Yeah, and I'm guessing the same thing happened to you them?" Kairi asked, gazing towards Waver and Gray, taking note of the tired gaze in their eyes. "Thought as much. So I take it..."

"We lost Rider and Lancer if that's what you're asking."

"Ah, well shit."

The necromancer muttered in distaste. Losing two Servants was a serious blow to their overall strength, especially when those two were famous heroes as well. Things were going to get a lot harder for them now.

 _'Ah screw it, I'll just haggle Rocco for a raise.'_

"Hmm... so the King of Conquerors is now lost to us?"

Gilgamesh muttered, crossing his arms and seemingly unimpressed by the revelation. Thanks to the way he spoke however, it felt like that wasn't the case to Jeanne. But at the same time she couldn't tell if he was angry or sad, maybe both or perhaps none at all. The one thing she could tell that there was disappointment in the Golden King's tone when he spoke.

It wasn't surprising, as she could tell that the King of Heroes and the King of Conquerors had a relationship of respect going on. She even believed that despite the former declaring his intention to personally slay the latter, both had a budding friendship growing between them as well.

"Alright then, where do we begin?"

Kairi began as he sat down. This was going to take a while to explain.

"Hmph, I'm going outside. You can take care of this can't you Master?"

With that, Mordred left the room without bothering to wait for a reply. The former would have called out to her but decided that it was futile.

Seeing this, Arthur turned his gaze to Jeanne, who simply smiled and nodded at him. Grateful, he returned the gesture as he walked out of the room as well.

"Heh, interesting..."

The Golden King stated, perking up from his thoughts regarding the King of Conquerors, turning into spirit form. At this, Kairi just groaned in annoyance.

"Great, anybody else who wants to leave?"

"How about joining in?"

A voice called out as all turned to see Fiore entering the room by herself. A sight which Waver froze up at, before reminding himself that the girl was no longer paraplegic thanks to Archer's medicine. It was something that needed to get used to quick, being surprised all the time wasn't good for the health.

As soon as the young brunette sat down, their discussion began.

"Now then, what did you lot encounter today?"

"First is the fight that Saber of Red participated in. This is going off what Caules told me, so it may not be accurate."

Taking a deep breath, Fiore continued.

"To begin with, what happened was..."

* * *

 _ **-Flashback-**_

 _ **"CLARENT BLOOD ARTHUR!"**_

 _ **"STELLA!"**_

The heroes cried out, unleashing their respective Noble Phantasms against one another. The attacks collided, pushing against the other in a bid to dominate the battle.

However, a winner had already been decided...

"Reach it...!"

...!

Mordred could only widen her eyes in shock as she saw her Noble Phantasm being blown away, Archer's own pushing through as it shot straight towards her. Speechless to say anything in response as she could only wait for the inevitable.

"Hmph! What a farce...!"

...!

A voice called out as an explosion rang out. Mordred braced herself for the worse but nothing came, resulting in the blonde haired knight looking up as she saw a familiar person standing in front of her. One dressed in gold and red.

"Archer!?"

She exclaimed in shock at the former's sudden appearance. The Golden King simply smirked in response, turning his attention towards the Red Knight as he gazed at her current outfit. It was... rather unexpected to say the least.

"That's quite an interesting look for you Saber. Finally decided to embrace your femininity I take it?"

"Shut it!"

Mordred angrily shouted. She had half a mind to punch the former in the face for that comment but was quickly reminded of the situation at hand.

Looking around, she saw something that took her off guard.

"What is this...!?"

In front of her and Archer was a incredibly large shield.

No, large was actually understating it, the shield were gargantuan in size! One that was only fit to be wielded by Giants of legend. How in the world did Archer have something like this in his arsenal!?

"Indeed, that was an impressive attack to be sure."

Gilgamesh stated, snapping his fingers as the giant shield disappeared. Once they did, Arash came into view once more. The latter having a shocked look on his face as he didn't expect such a thing to defend against his Noble Phantasm.

"However, in using it you have doomed yourself. Quite a foolish thing to do wouldn't you say?" He called out to his fellow Archer.

"Heh...!"

Arash chuckled briefly at the red-eyed man's jest, his body starting to fade away.

"Quite true, using it has brought about my end quicker than I'd like." He replied before he suddenly grinned. "However, I suppose it can't be helped. At the very least, I was able to have a good time before dying."

The red-eyed blonde simply chuckled briefly at this. One gaze into the former's eyes was enough to tell him the type of man he was. One who lived as he pleased, striving to do what he believed was right. An ideal hero so to speak, reminding him somewhat of Saber to be frank.

 _'So then... he's one of the Servants that the King of Knights fought against long ago.'_

Given the state the former had left Saber of Red in, who the Golden King admitted was quite strong in her own right, the black-haired Archer seemed like he could have been an entertaining adversary in the long run. Too bad he had already sealed away his fate by using his Noble Phantasm. Quite a disappointment to say the least...

As for Arash himself, he solemnly stared at the sky in silence as his body continued to fade away.

Looks like he failed, and in his first real battle in this war too. He had to give the mysterious Archer some praise for defending against his strongest attack so easily, even if his pride as a hero had been wounded a little.

 _'Ah well, I suppose it was fun regardless.'_

He thought, those being the only words to come to mind as he disappeared. Everyone could only stare quietly as the black-haired hero faded away from existence.

"Wait, did he just die?"

Elizabeth spoke up, breaking the momentary silence.

"The Noble Phantasm he used... I think it must have been a suicide type." Caules suggested.

"Oh. Well I guess that's that then..."

The former stated as she settled the latter down on the ground, her tone filled with mild stupor. The brunette boy nodded in understanding he was too taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

"Bastard, why did you have to interfere...!?"

Both flinched when they heard Mordred calling out to Gilgamesh. Now that the dust had settled, she was now back in form. She turned her attention towards the King of Heroes and demanded an answer from him. The latter merely scoffed as he replied.

"Don't be foolish, that attack just now would have killed you and you know it."

"I don't give a damn about that! It was my fight, so stay out of it you...!"

Even if she was outmatched, even if she was to die then and there... she would have been fine with it. The mere fact that she had to be saved... she knew no greater shame than what she was experiencing right now. And to be saved by the arrogant bastard in front of her...

What would her father say...?

"Hmph, worried about what the King of Knights will think are you? How foolish..."

...!

"You son of a bitch...!"

She threatened, placing Clarent's blade by his neck. An act which merely resulted in the red-eye blonde smirking much to Mordred's displeasure.

Just once she wanted to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face. Right now, she was really tempted to finally do it then and there...

While she thought this, Caules and Elizabeth could only watch in silence as both couldn't find the will to interfere. Two giants were about to clash, and there was likely nothing they could do to stop it once it got going.

Thankfully however...

"That's enough of that!"

Reines called out, appearing from the woods as she had her arms at her hips.

"Lady El-Melloi!"

Caules said in relief as he nodded in respect as well. Though younger than him, the blonde-haired girl was higher on the social totem pole as it were. As such, he needed to treat her with the proper respect less he annoyed her in any way.

Acknowledging Caules' act, the girl then turned her attention towards the two blonde-haired Servants about to thrown down.

"If you so wish to fight against one another, do it later. Right now, we still need to aid Miss Fiore and the Mercenary did we not? Or have you both forgotten that?"

Mordred froze up at this. That's right, the girl had a point. There was still the matter of her Master whom she hadn't heard from in a while. His last known location to her being in the distance, where another fight was taking place between Saber of Black and another Servant allied with the Archer and Assassin they fought just now.

...!

An explosion rang out in the distance, alerting the group as they all realized where it came from.

"Tch, fine then. I'll settle things with you later!"

With that, the Red Knight ran off to find her Master.

"H-Hey wait up!"

Caules exclaimed as he called out to Elizabeth, the latter picking him up as they flew in the air.

Soon enough, Gilgamesh and Reines followed suit. The former deep in thought as he carried his Master to their next destination.

* * *

 _ **-Present-**_

"I see, so Archer has been taken down..."

Arthur muttered, taking a moment to lean against the wall as he processed the new information. Outside the manor, he and Mordred began a discussion of their own parallel to the one his Master was currently having with the others.

"Something the matter King of Knights? Bothered that was he taken down so soon? Were you hoping for some sort of rematch then?"

The Golden King asked, materializing as he sat himself down on a tree near the manor looking down upon father and daughter.

"No, nothing of the sort." Arthur replied with a sigh at the sight of the King of Heroes. "Rather, I'm somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to meet him. He had once asked a question of me long ago, and I never truly managed to give him an answer back then."

"Hmph, as though any answer you give would be a good one."

Mordred scoffed as she crossed her arms. At this, the young man spoke to his daughter.

"And so you fought against him?" He stated before smiling somewhat. "Well done, you fared well."

"That supposed to be a joke? If so father, you need to work on your sense of humor."

Arthur merely smiled wryly in amusement at this, an act which caught the former off guard as she intended to be insulting. Why was her father smiling at her?

While she pondered this, her father was processing thoughts of his own.

 _'Archer...'_

Knowing that he was also likely subservient to Manaka's will, putting him down was the correct choice. Even if he wanted to, it was something that couldn't be helped. Not with their current situation. But what truly bothered him was how Mordred's fight with him went. Though she was one to boast, she wasn't exactly one to lie about a battle's events. Not with how prideful she was in herself.

Somehow, Archer had become stronger.

He had a feeling that such was the case. When he first saw Lancer back at the castle, he felt it as well as something that sent a shiver down his spine. It felt as though she was even more dangerous than before. And now, hearing Mordred's description of her battle with Archer, perhaps his thoughts held truth to them. He personally knew how strong she was and as well as Archer, believing them the former to be strong enough to fight equally with the latter.

The fact that she was struggling concerned him. They'll need to keep their guard up in the future once they began dealing with Manaka.

"So then, what else happened earlier?"

At this, Mordred simply turned her attention towards Gilgamesh, who himself was smirking somewhat as he spoke.

"Allow me to enlighten you King of Knights..."

* * *

 _ **-Flashback-**_

 _ **"BRYNHILD ROMANTIA!"**_

The Valkyrie cried out, diving towards the Dragon-Slayer at frightening speeds cloaked in blue energy.

 _ **"BALMUNG!"**_

The Phantasmal Greatsword roared, energy bursting forth in a wide arc.

"Hah! Such a spectacle this fight has been, but that's enough of that!"

"Ah!"

Brynhild cried out in surprise, snapping out of her madness when she heard an all too familiar voice.

...!

A roar resounded throughout the area, and both quickly widened their eyes in shock as they saw an incredibly large four-legged winged beast come into view. One whose body was rather ethereal in appearance, reminding one of a brightly lit night sky. Adorning its head and body were golden accessories reminiscent of those worn by royalty, but he couldn't identify the style of where it came from.

...!

"What!?"

His eyes widened in disbelief as both of his and Lancer's Noble Phantasms were now being blocked at the same time by the strange beast as it got between them.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

In the distance, Kairi watched the ongoing scene with Fiore. Both at a loss for words at the sudden new arrival and said arrival's feat of halting two incredibly powerful Noble Phantasm's at bay without so much as breaking a sweat from the looks of it.

Atop the beast itself, Siegfried noticed that someone was actually standing upon its head. One look was enough for the former to identify the stranger as a Servant. The question was, just who was he?

"Lancer, you've been a naughty woman for disobeying our Master...!"

...!

Before Brynhild could even react, she found herself being slammed away by an out of nowhere blast of energy. Crashing into the ground several times and taking down several trees in the process. When the dust cleared, the Valkyrie was on the ground shaking her head in a daze. Bleeding somewhat from the attack on her.

"And now, as for you..."

The man spoke, turning his attention to the Dragon-Slayer who was still in disbelief at the former's action towards his comrade as were Fiore and Kairi. Even if she was distracted, the new Servant had easily taken down Lancer with just one blast. She wasn't dead, but she had been injured far more than what Siegfried himself was able to inflict on the daughter of Odin.

"Hahaha! Such an impressive attack to be sure, holding it out this long..."

The man spoke, visibly entertained as Balmung continued to blast away. With the boost he received from his Master's Command Spells, Siegfried had more than enough to spend on at the moment.

"However, it will take more than that to defeat Wehem-Mesut!"

...!

A beam of energy erupted from the head of the Sphinx, pushing back the blast created by Balmung. Seeing no choice, Siegfried leaped away from his position as it was blasted into oblivion by the great beast before him. It didn't stop there however, stretching on far into the distance before finally dissipating. Leaving a trail of destruction that the Dragon Slayer couldn't help but compare to Fafnir's when they fought in the past.

"Hah! Good reflexes, otherwise you would have been incinerated right then there.."

The man stated with a smirk, leaping down from the head of the Beast, never losing his stance as he landed neatly on the ground. The Dragon-Slayer eyed his new foe carefully, taking care to not let his guard down as the man himself stared him down before grinning.

Now that he got a good look, the man before him was handsome looking and tall, having dark hair and tan skin which signified his middle eastern descent. He dressed in pair of pants and a white cape, golden jewelry over his body which complimented his appearance. What was most striking about him however were his golden eyes. Looking into them, it felt like staring into the eyes of a great hero and leader of men.

One who was also a force to be reckoned with... merciless to those who would oppose him.

In this war, he had only seen such eyes in one other person. And that was none other than the King of Heroes himself.

"Greetings, I am Ramesses II. Otherwise known as Ozymandias to others, I am the third Pharaoh of Egypt's nineteenth dynasty. Bow before me and worship my countenance, for you are in the presence of the King of Kings!"

Siegfried, Fiore, and Kairi's eyes widened in realization. He was none other the very same Servant that Saber had spoken to them during their flight to Japan!

 _'Damn it, this is bad...!'_

The latter thought, realizing how badly outclassed they were at the moment. Saber had told them that it took five Servants empowered by Ruler to take the Egyptian Pharaoh down last time, and that was when he lost a reliable supply of mana. And he wasn't about to doubt the words of a Heroic Spirit such as King Arthur.

With just him, Fiore, and Saber of Black, there was no way they could beat him as they were. Even if he summoned Saber he didn't know if it would be enough. Just how were they going to get out of this situation!?

"Hehe, why are you panicking Mister Shishigou? You act as though you've lost already."

...!

Hearing a voice speak out above them, both Kairi and Fiore looked up to see Archer of Red floating in the air. In his arms was Reines, the young blonde smirking as she saw the surprised look on Kairi's face.

 _'Wait, how the hell is Archer floating like that...?'_ Kairi briefly wondered, but brushed it aside as he heard another voice call out.

"Master!"

"Fiore!"

Mordred called out, appearing together with Berserker of Black and Caules as they landed in front of them, the latter being dropped off by his Servant.

"Caules, you're alright!"

"Yeah, managed to get by thanks to Archer."

"Tch, not like we needed his help!" Mordred scoffed.

Paying no heed to her words, the Golden King merely landed on the ground as he settled his young Master down as well. Never taking his gaze off the quarry that was the so called King of Kings.

"Reines, do not interfere." He simply stated. "And the same goes for you lot as well."

* * *

Ramesses smirked to himself as he gazed at the golden clad hero making his way towards him. With but a glance he could tell that the man before him, walking with a resolute and unflinching rhythm, was one of greatness.

"Such a magnificent aura... there can only be one such hero who could posses such a thing. Aside from myself of course."

Of course, the man walking towards him was the legendary God-King of Uruk. There was absolutely no mistaking that.

"Greetings King of Heroes, from one King to another." He stated with a formal nod of acknowledgement.

"Hmph, so you at least acknowledge my presence do you?"

Gilgamesh replied, crossing his arms as he came to a stop. Turning his attention towards Siegfried, he spoke.

"Leave Dragon-Slayer, this one is mine."

Hesitating for a moment, Siegfried silently nodded in response and distanced himself from the two Kings. A part of him wanted to suggest teaming up, but he realized that Archer of Red had no intention of even acknowledging such a thing making it a futile thought.

Normally he would consider it reckless, especially with he had just witnessed from the Egyptian Pharaoh... However, the Golden King was not one to be underestimated either.

For now, they'll just have to wait and see what happens.

"Never have I met a man so brazen as to declare himself as the King of Kings. I'll admit, I'm somewhat impressed." Gilgamesh stated.

"I only speak the truth O God-King of Uruk." Ramesses replied with a smirk. "Does that offend you?"

"Insolent fool, there can only be one true King in this world and that is none other than myself." The Golden King replied. "To declare yourself as the King of Kings is the highest form of insult imaginable for one such as I. Especially for one who acts as a puppet to another."

"Heh, so Saber spoke of us did he?"

Ramesses smiled, feeling somewhat nostalgic as he remembered the day he fought against Saber and the others. Truly, what a glorious battle it was. There was no comparing the elation he felt that day, perhaps aside from Nefertari accepting his proposal that is.

As much as he would have liked to continue reminiscing, he had other matters to attend to at the moment.

"Indeed, Sajyou Manaka is my Master for now. But I have no intention of forever remaining her puppet, that much I assure you as Pharaoh. Once the opportunity arises I will end her myself."

"Hmph, your words are empty." The former stated. "You cannot fool my eyes. Though your mind is your own, your body is under the control of that girl."

"Oh? So you've managed to notice." Ramesses replied, somewhat surprised. "Indeed, while I do have some form of control over myself at times, that girl has somehow managed to dominate my body in recompense despite my wishes."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at this. Indeed, while the man in front of him was an insolent fool for declaring himself the King of Kings, there was a strong will in his gaze that spoke magnitudes of the type of man he was. His words alone dripped of confidence, not unlike himself as much as disliked admitting it.

If he was made subservient despite seeking to eliminate his Master, then just what kind of girl was Sajyou Manaka? He was becoming more and more curious by the second.

"Now then," Ramesses then stated. "Assassin, you can come out now."

The violet-haired girl appeared beside her comrade, which resulted in Elizabeth raising her guard as she glared at the stripper woman that nearly killed her Master. Caules himself hiding somewhat behind the former wary of the poisonous Servant.

"Go to Lancer, and both of you retreat. I shall provide cover for both you."

"Understood."

Assassin replied, though a part of her wasn't looking forward to returning their Master. Having lost Archer today, she was likely to get mad at both her and Lancer for allowing such a thing to happen. Most especially herself since she was tasked together with Archer to retrieve the Valkyrie yet ended up going along with her instead.

"Hmph, do you really believe that I'll simply let you all go Sun King?"

"Sun King? Yes, I like the sound of that." Ramesses nodded to himself at the moniker, quite easier to say than some of his other titles. "You can try to stop us if you like, but be warned that there will be consequences King of Heroes. Are you willing to brave such a challenge?"

...!

Without warning, another Sphinx appeared above Golden King where he stood. Roaring as it descended upon its target...

"Hmph, such insolence!"

...!

Before anyone even realized it, the Sphinx was suddenly impaled by an incredibly large sword coming out of a portal above the beast. All who saw this couldn't help but stare in amazement at the gargantuan sword that Archer had unveiled so suddenly. Even Mordred who had seen him pull out a similar sized shield was also stunned.

However, Ramesses himself instead grinned at the sight of this.

"Hahaha! Now that is quite the blade you have King of Heroes!" He praised with a clap of his hands. "Now I truly see that you are not to be trifled with, for no mere man would have such a fine weapon in his arsenal."

"Fool, as though such a poor attempt at my life would kill me."

Gilgamesh stated, the large blade dissipating together with the beast that it impaled. Not long afterwards, ten portals of light appeared beside the King of Heroes as he gazed at the so-called King of Kings. He noted in annoyance that Assassin had also taken the opportunity to retreat as instructed by the Sun King.

"Fret not, for that was just a greeting. There are others to come...!"

At that, a dozen more sphinxes appeared. Each varying in size as they all directed their attention towards the Golden King. The latter of which simply smirked again in response. It was rare for someone to be able to control a number of Phantasmal Beasts the way Rider did.

"Heh, how interesting...!"

Saying that, another portal appeared above his hand and through it a strange looking object appeared. From the perspective of the others, it looked much like a key.

Reines, however, knew exactly what it was...

 _"I see, so you plan to unleash the Gate of Babylon's full potential do you?"_

 _"Do you have any problems with that Reines?"_

 _"Not at all, go right ahead."_

Holding up the key, Gilgamesh turned it.

At that, several portals of light appeared alongside the Golden King. However, instead of ten portals, their numbers expanded well beyond that and seemed to keep rising.

"Very well then Ozymandias, I shall acknowledge your challenge here." He stated, drawing his swords as well. "Will you survive this next onslaught?"

...!

Without bothering to wait for a reply, a barrage of weaponry was unleashed from the Gate of Babylon.

"Hah! Come at me then!"

Ramesses laughed as he tapped the bottom of his staff onto the ground, creating several dozen portals of light around him in a manner similar to that of the King of Heroes.

Blasts of energy came bursting forth from the portals, colliding with the weapons unleashed by the Gate of Babylon. Matching the weapons that shot out of it blow per blow, resulting in numerous mini explosions to occur as the Kings continued their respective onslaughts.

...!

"Heh!"

Gilgamesh simply smirked at this as he charged as well, weapons at the ready as the numerous sphinxes summoned by his foe went in to protect to their master.

He swung both his swords, quickly taking down a pair of beasts standing in his way. Several more came in, and he did the same. And so it continued, yet it mattered not to the King of Heroes. They may come at him as much as they like, but such small creatures wouldn't have been enough of a challenge for him!

"What's the matter Sun King!? Is this the best that you can managed!?"

Ramesses grinned wildly as he raised his staff once more.

...!

Several portals appeared before Gilgamesh, unleashing a barrage against the King of Heroes.

...!

The Golden King leaped away, jumping high into the air as explosions rang out from where he had just stood. But before he could catch his breath, several larger sphinxes flew towards him ready to strike. Seeing this and realizing that he wouldn't have been able to dodge in time, he sheathed both his swords onto his back. A portal opening right beside him as a large handle came out of it.

"Hah!"

...!

Spinning around, the weapon shot out of the portal revealing a large golden axe that quickly cleaved through all of the sphinxes in one go. The sheer force of Gilgamesh's strike enough to send their heads flying in different directions.

"Hahaha! Nicely done King of Heroes, I would have been disappointed if you would have been taken down by my companions so easily."

"Fool, if you wish to provide a challenge in the form of your pets, bring out your strongest! The Bull of Heaven was far more of a threat compared to these lowly beasts!"

"Very well, I suppose Wehem-Mesut should suffice then?"

...!

Ramesses declared. And with that, the Sphinx that he arrived on roared as prana began to gather within its mouth so to speak. Siegfried quickly realized that it was the same attack that the former used against him to overpower Balmung. Only this time it had far more power packed into it!

Having already seen the type of devastation it could unleash, he called out to the Golden King.

"Archer! Be wary of that beast!" He exclaimed.

"Hoh?" Gilgamesh turned to give an amused smirk at the grey-haired hero. "I believe that's the first time I've ever heard such an outburst from you Dragon-Slayer, and you insult for believing that I would not notice such a thing for myself. I've already seen it first hand earlier after all."

He replied, raising his hand as another large portal appeared above him.

Saying that, another large portal appeared above the Golden King. Once again, another gargantuan sword appeared through it. Though compared to the one used earlier, the one that the Golden King had pulled out just now was far more jagged in shape. To the others present, it somewhat reminded them of a dragon's wing.

"Hot..."

Fiore muttered under her breath as she began sweating. Though they were a fair distance away, she could still feel a high level of heat coming from the direction of the two Kings. If she had to guess, it was emanating from Archer of Red's strange new weapon.

"Oh? You believe that blade to be equal to the Sphinx?"

Ramesses needn't a second glance to guess the type of devastation such the jagged sword could unleash, the heat it was emanating alone was enough to tell him the type of weapon it was. Once released, it might even burn down the entire forest they were in.

No, even without that, just swinging such a large weapon would undoubtedly result in such a thing regardless.

However, he wasn't worried...

After all, the sun was his domain as one of the Pharaohs of Egypt. One who was chosen by Ra. Mere fire wouldn't be enough to take him down, and he'd be damned if he allowed himself to be killed by a simple sword swing.

"Shall we test that theory then?"

The King of Heroes spoke, causing the Sun King to blink momentarily at his strange choice of words before realizing what had just occurred. He merely smirked in response, chuckling slightly as he grinned wildly.

"Very well then! Let's-"

"That's quite enough of that Rider."

A voice called out, causing both Kings to stop in their tracks.

Turning their attention towards the source, both looked to see a woman with long flowing pink hair wearing a blue kimono off standing to the side. An amused smile on her face as she saw the incredulous reactions of said two men as they gazed at her.

"Who are you...?"

Gilgamesh simply demanded, raising one of his swords towards the mystery woman. He decided to cut straight to the point as he hadn't sensed someone else, much less a Servant, getting so near them without either him or the Sun King noticing even if they were preoccupied just now.

Her ears and tail however did give him enough of an idea of who she was...

"Greetings to you King of Heroes, your reputation precedes you." The woman simply bowed her head in response. "I am Caster, perhaps Saber might have told you about little old me? No? Perhaps I should have a word with him about that later on."

"Hmph, so you're with him are you?" He stated, turning his gaze slightly towards the Sun King.

"Caster, I did not expect you to be here." Ramesses called out in grimace, knowing exactly why she was here.

"Ehehe~" Tamamo giggled to herself. "I had a feeling that you might find yourself caught up, so I decided to trail you when you left using one of my tails."

"I see..."

The Sun King nodded in understanding, his curiosity over her slightly different appearance also answered. Though still long, her hair was somewhat shorter than the Caster he personally knew. Even without that however, he was able to tell that the Caster in front of him wasn't the real one just by looking.

"I can see that you were enjoying yourself just now, but do not forget that we are not here to pick a fight with Saber's comrades just yet."

"My apologies dear sister, I suppose I truly was enjoying myself too much."

He admitted, the giant sphinx settling down as walked towards the fox-eared woman. Seeing this, Gilgamesh decided to return Sul-Sagana back to his treasury for now. With Caster's sudden appearance, the mood was ruined to say the least. He normally would have been annoyed, but the Golden King decided to ignore said feeling as he focused on his curiosity of the new arrival.

For one, Rider calling her sister was certainly strange.

"You two are siblings?" Gilgamesh muttered as he crossed his arms. "Forgive me if I find such a thing to be ridiculous."

"Both Caster and I have relations to the Sun. As such, I consider her to be my sister regardless of blood." Ramesses simply stated before grinning. "And since Caster as a Heroic Spirit is younger than myself, I am her older brother."

"Why are you smiling like that's something to brag about?"

Caster deadpanned with a sigh. Why is it that men always felt the need to boast about the most nonsensical of things? True, having someone like her as little sister character would have been a great honor to anyone, but now wasn't the time for that.

And thanks to what the Sun King had just said, her identity might as well have been revealed already. She had half a mind to smack him for that.

"Don't be foolish, you also have yourself to blame for not hiding those ears and tail."

Tamamo blinked for a good few seconds before realizing what the King of Heroes had just said...

He could read minds!?

The Golden King merely smirked in amusement at the former's reaction. Together with said attributes, the Sun King mentioning Caster's relation to the sun provided another clue as to who she was. He wasn't one to make random guesses, but he believed he had a good idea of who the she was now.

If his hunch was correct, then another powerful player had been added into the fray...

* * *

 ** _-Present-_**

"Not long after that, both the Sun King and Caster left. Seeing as we no longer had anything in standing in our way, we returned here."

"You simply allowed them to leave?" Arthur asked.

"Hmph, I simply no longer saw any point in continuing the fight." The Golden King replied before he smiled and crossed his arms. "Either way, that battle wouldn't have been settled there regardless of Caster's interference. It wasn't a befitting stage for kings to do battle in such a place."

"You seem quite content, I suppose the battle with Rider was to your liking?"

"Indeed, the Sun King is rare opponent for me to face. To be able to command a number of Phantasmal Beasts is no small feat, much less matching my treasures blow per blow. There has only ever been one other person that's able to accomplish such a feat in my memory."

While saying that, Arthur took note of the somewhat melancholic look the King of Heroes had in his eyes. It was subtle look, but it was there. He wondered to himself as to who the Golden King could possibly be referring to having only known the basics of Gilgamesh's history but not much else.

"Hmm? What's with that look little girl?"

The red-eyed blonde asked when he noticed female blonde looking at him as though he had grown a second head or something. To be frank, the dumbfounded look on her face was rather hilarious in itself.

"Do you believe us to be morons or something?"

Mordred stated as a deadpan look grew on her face.

"Hmm? Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question?" Gilgamesh smirked in reply.

"Stop screwing around!" The Red Knight demanded as she pointed a finger at the former. "There's no way in hell you can read minds! As if something so ridiculous could be true!"

...

Wait, that was what caught her attention?

To be honest, Arthur himself had a hard time believing such a thing for himself. However, he knew well enough to expect the unexpected. And the King of Heroes was someone that basically embodied that idea thanks to his abilities.

Still, the ability to read minds? And from someone like Archer? The young man somewhat shivered at the idea given the former's personality.

"Hmph, believe what you will then." The Golden King simply shrugged in amusement. "It's not as though your mind would be able to comprehend such a thing to begin with, perhaps I erred when I decided to mention that."

"What was that?!" She exclaimed.

"Is your reaction to every jest I make to shout in anger? If so, you may Berserker to shame with your shrieks of anger."

"Why you...!"

"Enough of that Mordred, being angry with him will lead to nowhere."

Arthur suddenly stated with a firm tone, one that was enough to stop the young blonde in her tracks as she froze up at her father's voice.

Taking a moment to consider his words, Mordred saw reason within them given the type of person that Archer was. Indeed, being angry with him simply fueled how entertained he was at being able to rile her up. As much as she wanted to punch the pompous bastard in the face for it, she restrained herself.

Still, that didn't mean she had to like it, nor at the fact that her father suddenly took an authoritative tone with her either.

Just the idea of it...

"Tch!"

She clicked her tongue in distaste, muttering under her breath as she turned her head away. Arthur simply shook his head at this before turning his attention back towards the Golden King himself, who simply smiled at the Red Knight's reaction.

"Heh, a father coming to the defense of his daughter eh?" Gilgamesh simply chuckled in response. "What a pair you two make, unable to be honest with yourselves. Speak your minds if you have something to say less you regret not being able to in the end."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Mordred demanded with annoyed look whereas Arthur was more curious at what the Golden king was saying.

"Who knows? I'm simply stating what I see." The King of Heroes replied with a smirk as he started to walk away from the two "Whether or not you two take heed of my words is of no concern to me. If you both so choose to continue this charade then by all means. I'll simply entertain myself by watching from the sidelines."

With that, the red-eyed blonde left. Leaving Arthur and Mordred by themselves as both were left to ponder his words.

"Bastard, saying what he likes whenever he wants...!"

The latter stated while grinding her teeth together. Who was he to judge her and her father like that? She was really close to picking a fight with Archer, so very close that she might as well have been tied together with him with a rope. Yes, that way he wouldn't be able to escape her wrath!

"Does he remind you of someone?"

"Hah? What kind of question is that?"

Mordred quickly demanded, not liking the insinuation her father was directing towards her. Realizing what he just said, Arthur backtracked.

"That's not what I-No, never mind..."

He quickly stated in reply, the young man didn't even realize that he had spoken his thoughts aloud.

Alas, it was too late. The answer he gave felt unsatisfactory to the Red Knight, and the way he said it only served to anger her more.

Was her father thinking that she and Archer were the same? They were nothing alike!

At this, she simply huffed in annoyance and walked away, mumbling curses at both Archer and her father as she left the area. The latter attempted to call out to her, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't go further than a short distance away from the manor.

Perhaps she simply needed space. At least, that's what he believed...

"Angered her again did you?"

Jeanne stated, walking towards her friend as she had seen the exchange take place. Arthur wasn't surprised by this and simply acknowledge the presence of the young saint.

"Perhaps it's my talent to say the wrong things whenever I speak with her."

"Don't think like that. From what I've seen, you've been able to say the right things as well." Jeanne stated reassuringly. "Don't worry Arthur, I believe that day you two reconcile will come soon. I'm sure of it!"

"I doubt that, but my thanks for your support." The young man simply smiled in response. "I assume that your talks with the others have ended as well?"

"Yes, shall we head back inside to talk about it?"

She stated, unknowingly extending her hand towards the young man.

Seeing this, Arthur nodded in response as he held the former's hand in his own, an act that quickly alerted the young saint as to what she had just done.

"Jeanne?" The former muttered in confusion.

"Ah! My apologies..." She stated, somewhat panicked. "It's just that your hands were cold and...!"

"True, it is getting late." Arthur stated, looking around as he failed to notice the young saint sigh in relief. "Shall I make something to warm you up then?"

"P-Please do... I'll be with you in a moment."

The young man nodded as he went back into the manor first. With him gone, the young saint simply sighed once more and leaned against the wall of the manor. Placing the hand that made contact with Arthur's own over her chest.

"What am I doing? This is ridiculous...!"

Jeanne chided herself, acting the way she did just now over something so simple. Even with Laeticia influencing her, she once held hands with many different men in the past. A simple touch shouldn't have affected her so much!

"I need to calm myself..."

She couldn't call herself Ruler if she allowed such a simple thing to disturb her. Yes, as Ruler she needed to forget about all that. Her duties came first, her emotions second. She couldn't administer the Holy Grail War if she continued acting the way she was with Arthur.

 _'Still...'_

She had to admit, Arthur's hand in her own... the feeling was nice.

"Ah...!"

No, no, no! She wasn't supposed to think like that!

And so, the troubled thoughts of the young saint continued.

Unknowingly to Jeanne, someone had witnessed her little dilemma.

"Hmph..."

Mordred stated, having decided to remain at the manor instead of leaving. As a result, the Red Knight had overheard Ruler's words to herself.

Something about it felt wrong to her. What was Ruler going on about? She didn't know why, but somehow she felt even more annoyed than usual. Even more than when she was interacting with Archer of Red who more or less always got on her nerves.

No, this was different. She couldn't say why or how, but she was sure it was different.

"What are you up to Ruler...?"

The young blonde muttered to herself. Her curiosity now ignited, she decided to keep an eye on the young saint for now. She didn't believe that she was planning on doing something untoward to her father, but something about her behavior rubbed her the wrong way.

* * *

"My, my, just what am I going to do with you?"

Tamamo sighed to herself, her arms crossed as she directed a narrowed stared towards Assassin. Said person was currently sitting on her knees, Seiza style as the Servant of Magic called it. Ramesses could only smirk in amusement at the scene before him as he watched his little sister lecture her like a mother would to a naughty child.

"Um... where is Master?"

Assassin mumbled quietly yet loud enough to be heard.

"I'm glad you asked Serenity-chan, Master is quite annoyed with you right now." The pink-haired woman smiled sweetly. "You're both lucky that she's taking a nap right now otherwise you'd have to deal with her."

"I-I see..."

"However~!"

The Hassan of Serenity froze up when she suddenly saw a number of strange looking tools being pulled out from Tamamo's sleeve, a dangerous glint in the latter's eyes as she grinned in amusement at the sight of the former's panicked look.

"That just means you will have to deal with me~! Come along then~!" She happily declared.

"W-Wait! What about Lancer...!?"

"I've thought about that, but..."

Both looked towards the teal-haired Valkyrie, the latter of whom was currently tied up in rope and a number of stone blocks placed on her lap. Tamamo had magically enchanted both that it be difficult to escape even for her, with the stones getting heavier with each passing second. She felt that such a thing would have functioned as an appropriate punishment for the trouble that both caused today, however...

"Ehehehe...!"

From the looks of it, Lancer was enjoying it. She was even smiling! What was up with that!?

"I feel like if I do anything more to her she might like it..."

Tamamo sighed in disappointment, the teal-haired Valkyrie was rather beautiful too. When a woman says that you know it was true. Teasing her would have been quite fun, alas her personality made that somewhat difficult. Who knew that the daughter of Odin would be _that_ kind of person? It somehow felt appropriate to be honest, and somewhat disturbing as well.

"Geez, you're all so noisy..."

Entering the room with a drowsy look on her face was Manaka herself, currently dressed in pajamas brought for her by the fox-eared woman. She rubbed one of her eyes as she yawned. A sight that Tamamo found to be rather adorable!

Opening her mouth to speak, she stopped to take a moment to look at the sight that was Lancer. Soon afterwards, she went back to what she was about to say.

"Really now Caster, there's no need to get angry at these two." Manaka stated.

"But Master, they ended up getting Archer killed..." The fox-eared woman complained. "Can't I just punish them a little bit? If you join me you might find it fun~"

"Hmm... if this is about Archer getting killed, then the solution is simple!"

...!

With a surge of prana erupting from her body, a summoning circle quickly formed around the Manaka. All present watched with interest at what the girl was about to do.

"Come Archer, return to us right now!"

Manaka declared, raising her hand forward as a the light emanating from the circle began to surge wildly in different directions.

...!

A flash of light covered the room blinding the others slightly. Once it cleared, they opened their eyes to see an unexpected sight.

"Wait, I'm alive...!?"

There stood Arash in all his glory, the man himself completely confused as well by what had just happened.

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

Well that wraps up CH25, and the first chapter of Act III. I'll admit, I actually had this chapter 80% done for a month now but I always found myself buried in other stuff that I couldn't find time to finish it. That and I was going through _**Tales of Berseria**_ at the same time too. Love that game and its story :D

Anyway, onto the chapter itself. As I said earlier, this chapter is mostly a recap of what had happened in the last few chapters of Act II. The Rogue Faction will get their turn in the next chapter. Originally they would have gotten it here, but the flashbacks ended up longer than I planned.

The Ramesses and Gilgamesh bit was intentionally cut short because I plan on them fighting at a later date, but at the same time I felt like they needed to meet now so as to help establish their future relationship. FGO shows us that Ramesses and Gil get along surprisingly well, but I'm going to make it so that it takes a few more meetings before they get to that point. Also, I gave Proto-Gil the ability to utilize the FSN version of GoB. Think of the ten portal thing as him holding back intentionally in this fic.

Also, regarding the bit where Wehem-Mesut blocks Balmung before retaliating with its own blast of energy... I don't honestly know if the former would be possible but given that it's apparently the Alpha Sphinx, I decided to let it be. Especially since Ramesses is more powerful thanks to Manaka being his Master.

About Iskandar... yeah, I've been wanting to kill him off for a while now ever since his little dialogue with Arthur back in CH20. I felt like his role had been served, and thus he was off to the chopping block. I'm a bad man for smiling at that XD Anyway, hoped the farewell between him and Waver worked well enough. I wasn't able to focus on both as much as I would have liked before it occurred.

* * *

 _ **Reply Section:**_

 _ **Guest:**_ Probably not? By the time of FLR (Acronym of KoW's new title) the FGO MCs are still nothing more than little kids. They'd be about five to six years old when it happens going by how the MCs from looks alone look only a year or two older than Mash herself.

* * *

That's it for now. Again, please review :D


	27. Act III-26: Arthur and Mordred

_**AN:**_ Here's CH26 people, hope you all like it. Please review :D

 _ **Updated (4/20/2017):**_ Updated the final scene a little since I realized that I forgot to include some things there due to my desire to get the chapter out soon.

* * *

"Hmph, losing Archer and as well letting that homunculus and Rider to get the best of you..."

Beatrice remained in silence as Julian gazed upon her with silent fury in his eyes. The young man wasn't outwardly lashing out her, but that made it all the more unbearable as he recounted her failures that day. Currently both were standing upon a balcony that overlooked land below them.

The sunset over the horizon, a boy and girl together out alone... had this been any other time, Beatrice would have loved being able to just stand there together with her beloved Lord Julian. However, this was not one of those times.

"Well then? Do you have anything to say...?"

"U-Uh... I'm so sorry Lord Julian! It's just that... well, those two...! Archer, he...!"

"Must you be so strict?"

Both perked up at the sound of the voice calling out to the former. Looking towards the source, they saw Shirou arriving while accompanied by Semiramis. The two Servants both having grins on their faces as they greeted Julian.

"Must you be so intrusive?" Julian shot back, crossing his arms as he continued. "Whatever my business with my family servants is mine alone. Do not interfere Kotomine."

"Come now Julian, I am yours and Erika's legal guardian." The former smiled much to the latter's annoyance. "I was appointed by your father after all, that makes me family as much as you want to deny it."

"Believe what you want..." The black-haired youth scoffed in reply.

"At any rate, I don't believe that this little scolding of Beatrice will do any good." Shirou continued. "True, while Robin Hood is lost to us we did managed to recover the card of the Hound of Ulster. And we did manage to take down Rider of Red in the process. I believe that to be an even trade no?"

"Be that as it may, we didn't accomplish our true goal of eliminating Lord El-Melloi II." Julian stated. "We may have taken out his Servant, but that doesn't make him any less of a threat than he already is. Together with Shishigou, that man has the most experience among the Masters of the Alliance and ties to the Association."

"Indeed, which is why we'll be careful in the future and wait for another opportunity to strike." The young hero replied. "For what it's worth, Beatrice actually did well. She did managed to keep both Rider and his Master at bay by herself long enough for us to take out Lancer and Rider of Red. That's an accomplishment in itself, especially given that the card she used has yet to be perfected after all."

"Tch, you have a point..."

At this, Beatrice gave a look of astonishment towards the white-haired hero. She hadn't expected Kotomine to come to her defense like that. While she still didn't like him, she supposed she had to give him thanks for that later on.

"Speaking of which, Assassin...?"

The Assyrian Queen nodded as she stepped forward, pulling out a Class-Card from the space between-

 _'STOP SHOWING OFF YOU DAMN HAG!'_

Beatrice so wanted to scream right then and there. While she wasn't one to dwell too much on the topic, the fact that Assassin sent her a knowing look while doing what she did annoyed her to no end. Especially since she was doing it right in front of her Lord Julian!

Oblivious to the red-head's frustrations, Julian examined the card that Assassin held between her fingers. He realized that it was the very same Class-Card that held the spirit of Cu Chulainn within it.

"Lancer's Class-Card? What about it?" He asked.

"Having witnessed the battle between Lancer and our forces, I've been wondering to myself if perhaps there's any way to make him more powerful." Semiramis spoke aloud, tucking the card back. "Indeed, the Hound of Ulster is already quite powerful in his own right. But now that he's on our side, perhaps there's something that we can do to give him a little boost. With the enemies we face, it's not a bad idea no?"

"I see." Julian quickly nodded in understanding, seeing the fruitfulness of the idea for himself. "What did you have in mind then?"

The Assyrian Queen simply smiled in delight at this.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 26:**_

 _ **Arthur and Mordred**_

* * *

"A toast to our fallen comrade!"

"Here here your majesty~!"

Within the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were Richard and Shakespeare, both seated at a table with several bottles of champagne laid atop it as the two drank down their respective glasses.

"Ah! There's nothing quite like taking moment to sip down a glass of wine. Most especially after the lost of dear Robin."

The former stated with a look of grimace. Though they knew each other for only a short time, he had already considered the man who shared a name with one of his oldest friends to be a comrade as well. It was quite a shame that they couldn't fight together anymore.

"Indeed, an unfortunate lost to be sure. However, with his death new possibilities have been opened for this grand tale that we've found ourselves in. As a writer, the scenarios that could happen to us are limitless! I thank you Sir Robin Hood, for your sacrifice is most appreciated~!"

"Hahaha! I sincerely doubt that he would be amused by such a thing."

Richard laughed. As usual, Shakespeare was rather lively despite recent events. Perhaps it was because he was more or less an observer rather than a true ally to their cause. He had a feeling that if it came down to it, the English Writer would betray them if it suited his desires. All for the sake of writing the grandest tale of them all so he said.

In truth, Richard didn't mind it. In fact, he had already read the works of the former, thanks to Shakespeare giving him copies, and found himself enjoying said books. He was now looking forward to his rendition of the Great Holy Grail War.

That is, so long as they were still alive by the end of everything...

"You're both rather lively."

A voice called out, and both men turned to see Atalanta standing to the side.

"Ah, the Chaste Huntress. Care to join us gentlemen this fine evening~?"

"You'll forgive if I make a habit of avoiding cockroaches such as yourself."

"Hahaha... how harsh."

Richard merely chuckled in response, once again shot down by another beautiful woman. Not that he minded. He was already quite glad to be able to meet and work together with a legendary figure such as the Chaste Huntress of Arcadia.

"How do Lancer and Rider fare? I haven't seen them since you all returned." He asked.

"They're fine, just resting for now in order to recover. Both them exhausted themselves thanks to using their Noble Phantasms."

"And what of you? I heard that you made frequent use of yours as well."

"Indeed, but mine isn't so taxing compared to theirs." She replied. "I worry about Lancer..."

"Oh? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing serious I suppose, he wasn't badly injured during the last battle." Atalanta stated with a sigh. "That armor of his managed to stave off the worst of Lancer of Red's attacks. However, I do admit that it's rather disturbing that some of his wounds have yet to heal. They're already closed, but still..."

"A Noble Phantasm perhaps...?"

Richard suggested, an inquisitive look in his eyes as he began to think. Servants had quick regenerative abilities compared to most beings. By Atalanta's words, Karna's wounds were minor in nature, which would have meant they would have healed up in no time with the right application of healing arts.

"Most likely." The Chaste Huntress nodded, crossing her arms. "I believe I've seen this before. Rider has a Noble Phantasm with a similar effect, and Lancer already had this one wound on his chest that never healed until today, a wound that was inflicted upon him by the Child of Light. Once he was dead, it started to heal once more. I suppose that it's the same case with Lancer of Red."

A part of her was fretful over the possibility of their enemies taking advantage of Lancer's condition. There was no denying that her comrade was incredibly powerful. But even the smallest of cracks could be used to overcome the greatest of fortresses...

"Hah..."

She sighed to herself once more. Just when did she become such a worrisome woman? Lancer most certainly didn't need it after all.

"In other words, to heal our comrade's wounds we must first take Lancer of Red out."

Atalanta was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Richard speak with a growing smile on his face.

"I do admit, the idea of facing off against one of the great heroes of Ancient Greece is exhilarating. I'll likely lose, but I suppose that's natural."

"Your majesty, should you wish it then I'll record this tale of grandeur for you. Richard the Lionheart vs the great Achilles himself!"

"Yes, I would like that. Please do Shakespeare."

"Don't tell me you're seriously planning on having a duel with him like you did with the King of Knights?" Atalanta interrupted, an incredulous look on her face. "Don't even think about it, you stand no chance against someone like Achilles. Besides, I believe that Lancer has already laid his own claim on his life."

"Oh? With how stoic our demigod friend is I somewhat have a hard time believing as such."

"True I suppose, but if you've already fought with him as much as I have then I believe you would come to the same realization yourself."

"So you say..."

Richard stated with a growing smirk on his face as his mind came to a realization. With the way the Chaste Huntress was acting and her words about Lancer... it honestly made one stop to think about the possibility.

"What is it?"

The former asked, taking note of the strange look the blonde-haired knight was giving her. Just as Richard was about to speak...

"Enough Saber. Say any more and you'll likely anger her."

The trio then turned to their attention to the source of the voice to see Karna making his way towards the small group.

"What? What kind of woman do you take me for Lancer?" Atalanta muttered in annoyance at the former's statement.

"A somewhat prideful sort. That when insulted intentionally or otherwise you'll likely threaten the person in question responsible for it."

The Chaste Huntress opened her mouth to speak, but found no words coming out. She hated to admit it, but Lancer was correct given some of her interactions with Perseus. To be fair, he was the one who started it. Then again, it was clear to her that he wasn't being actively malicious either.

 _'Ugh, now I feel like a child...'_

"How fares your wounds O Child of the Sun? Our dear Huntress here was worried about you." Shakespeare asked.

"It's nothing to fret over, my wounds aren't so severe that they will slow me down." Karna replied before crossing his arms and turning his attention towards Richard. "And what of you Saber? How are your injuries so far?"

"Recovering quite nicely, I may even return to the fray very soon."

"I see, that's good then."

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

"We've received word from one of Assassin of Black's personas. One of them caught wind of our enemies scouting the forest to the far west of the city. They went to observe, and bore witness to a battle taking place between the Alliance Servants and a group of three unknown Servants."

"Could it be that other faction led by Sajyou Manaka girl?"

"It was, their appearances matched with what Master described them by. One of them was even the same woman that I encountered the other night." The white-haired demigod replied. "One of them had apparently been taken out."

"Then good new for us is it not?"

"Is it? I'm not entirely convinced." Karna replied. "Be wary all of you, I feel that the coming battles are going to become much harder from here on out."

"Oh? Is that fear I hear Lancer? That's quite uncommon for you if I do say so myself." Richard stated with a grin.

"On the contrary, I merely feel the need to worry all of you once we cross blades with them in the future." Karna replied, unimpressed by the former's attempts to mock him. "I cannot be held responsible for any of you should you all perish, steel yourselves for when the time comes."

With that, the Child of Surya left and walked off elsewhere in the fortress.

"Hahaha...! What a troublesome man." Richard chuckled at the former's departing form. "I suppose that was his way of saying that he cares?"

"Who knows?"

Atalanta shrugged, a small smile on her face as she shook her head. A part of her somewhat agreeing with the former's statement.

* * *

"Tch!"

"What's the matter?"

Kairi asked as drove around the city in his car, with Mordred sitting on the passenger seat next to him. She was frowning angrily as she stared off into empty space.

When she didn't reply to his question, he merely sighed. While the blonde being mad wasn't anything new, it was obvious to the former that the blonde was upset over something. Over what, he couldn't tell given that his Servant's short temper. She was always acting out against Archer and that wasn't going into the problems she had with the King of Knights.

 _'Maybe it's because she's still pissed about that match with that other Archer?'_

A day had already passed since the recent battle. Thankfully there were no attacks during said period which gave him and the others time to recover their strength. Thanks to Caster's handiwork, Mordred herself was already near fighting fit once more. She just needed to take it easy for a while longer. Thankfully her injuries weren't anything serious, otherwise she might have been handicapped for the rest of the war.

Given her near lost against the Archer Servant known as Arash, he wouldn't have been surprised if the girl was indeed still mad about it.

However, he had a feeling it was something else...

 _'Yeah, it probably has something to do with her old man.'_

Thinking about it now, the red knight was rather adamant about leaving the estate when she found out that her father was to continue to remain there as he continued to recover from own his injuries that he received during his duel with the Rogue Saber.

"Let me guess, your old man?" He decided to ask.

"No." She replied flatly.

"Knew it." Kairi chuckled and smirked. "What's the problem this time? Same or did something new happen?"

"It's nothing, stay out of my business." The blonde nearly exclaimed.

"Geez, you really are like a little kid..."

"What was that!?"

"There you go, that's the Saber I know." Kairi added with a grin as Mordred merely huffed in the other direction. "Come on, talking will probably help you get it off your chest. And I'm not talking about it like that, so stop with the murderous look already."

Mordred merely sighed. Her Master wasn't going to let up was he? Damn him, he was like... well, she didn't know what the word was but he was really annoying her!

"Then tell me, if you were faced with the prospect of facing off against someone who betrayed you, what would you do?"

She asked, turning her full attention towards her Master. Despite his sunglasses, she was able to take note of his surprised expression. It was clear to her that he hadn't expected such a topic to be brought up.

"Hmm... that honestly depends. Is it supposed to be personal or business?"

"Does it matter? Put your faith into someone, and then to have them stab you the back? What would you do?"

She demanded, sounding somewhat desperate. A tone of voice that came off as somewhat disturbing to Kairi given what he had seen of his Servant and she was never like this.

Personally, if someone were to betray him, he was likely to treat it as something that couldn't be helped depending on the circumstances. The world that magi lived was filled with a number of bastards to begin with, so the occasional back stab was to be expected every now and then. As a mercenary, he's done it a number of times already. He wasn't proud of it, but neither was he going to lose any sleep over it either. Most of it was due to business, so it couldn't be helped either way.

With the way Mordred spoke, it was clear that she was referring to something personal. As such...

"To be honest, I'd probably shoot them in the head."

"Right?" Mordred nodded in satisfaction, smiling a bit before frowning once more. "However, my father is...!"

Why? Just why would he think like that...!?

* * *

 _"Tch, what are they both up to...?"_

 _Mordred muttered to herself as she saw her father dragging Ruler out to the greenhouse very suddenly. It was right after their meal when she suddenly saw it take place, a part of her growing suspicious as she quietly followed the two.  
_

 _After Ruler's little episode earlier... she was annoyed beyond reasons known even to her. Perhaps now was a good moment to observe, to see what was disturbing her about the woman who called herself her father's Master._

 _Once she was there, she overheard both speaking._

 _"Tell me something, did you know the truth behind Berserker this entire time? About him being Lancelot?"_

 _Wait, what...!?_

 _Mordred froze up, unable to believe what she just heard. She hadn't expected that at all...!_

 _"Yes, I did."_

 _"I see... You knew the truth since then didn't you? During the night you summoned me..."_

 _That night her father was summoned... if she remembered correctly, that was the night when they were also attacked by two unknown Servants. Ruler had mentioned before that one of them was the Black Knight that had interrupted her duel with her father that one night and engaged in combat with Archer at the castle._

 _"So it was that adulterous bastard the entire time!?"_

 _Mordred growled quietly to herself. The blonde clenched her fists, fury began to consume her once more. Not for anything that Lancelot did to her personally, but what he did to the Round Table..._

 _Though she was the one known as the Knight of Treachery, he was the one who had raised his sword first against their kingdom._

 _Perfect Knight... what a joke!_

 _He had killed Gareth, and killed Agravain and Gaheris as well. He betrayed her father's trust, stealing his wife away from him! Mordred didn't particularly care for Guinevere as a person, but she knew well enough that stealing another's spouse was perhaps one of the greatest forms of betrayal there was. While the blonde did make a proposal towards her when she began her uprising, it was more of an attempt at mockery on her part than anything serious._

 _That bastard deserved death, more than anyone else she knew!_

 _"Despite everything, you still consider him a friend don't you?"_

 _Her thoughts quickly cleared when she heard Ruler speak again. Speaking a question that Mordred herself was curious about._

 _For everything that happened between them, surely her father didn't... did he?_

 _"I do. If there's anyone I would trust my life with, it would be none other than Lancelot."_

 _...!_

* * *

"Wow, gotta respect your old man. Not many people would still trust a man who betrayed them by stealing their lover and killing their comrades."

"Shut it, that's not the point!"

Mordred exclaimed, currently seated at a bench with an angry frown on her face together with her Master. With their discussion taking longer than expected, Kairi decided to pull up momentarily near a park so as to better focus himself on their discussion. For good measure, he had also created a small boundary field to prevent people from interfering with or listening in on them.

Still, it was something that the King of Knights still felt that he could trust someone who betrayed him and his kingdom. Though as admirable as it was, it was also something that was inhuman to a degree for someone to be that forgiving...

"Why...?! Just why does my father not hate that adulterous bastard?!"

Mordred stated, asking no one in particular as she smashed her fist against her other hand's palm. It was just so frustrating...!

Was it not natural to hate Lancelot? He killed Gareth, Agravain, and Gaheris after all! While she never really got along with them or any other members of the Round Table aside from Gareth herself, she did to an extent still consider her fellow Round Table members to be good comrades at the very least. Even she did betray them as well later on, what Lancelot did was even worse in her eyes. All for the sake of a woman...

Back then, he should have been hanged! Yet her father chose to pardon him for his crimes and banish him instead. At first she believed that he only did so as a way of honoring Lancelot's numerous great deeds he had done for the sake of their kingdom, but now it was clear to her that it wasn't the case.

Her father, he still cared for Lancelot as a friend. Just the thought of it was so maddening!

"Why are you getting so upset about it? It's his choice after all."

"Despite everything that bastard has done!? Father should be furious with him! He should want to see him dead!"

Kairi merely sighed at this, scratching the back of his head as he was unsure on how to deal with the situation at hand. Clearly Mordred was upset over her father's decision, but he felt that there was something more to it. But he wasn't about to grasp at something that wasn't there either.

As such, it was time to set the record straight. While he didn't really think it was his business to interfere with her relationship with her father, it was getting kinda annoying to deal with his Servant constantly acting the way she did whenever the topic of her father was brought up.

He wasn't being paid to play therapist, but dammit he might as well give it a shot if it meant ending his Servant's troubles!

"Saber, just what are you really angry about?"

"Huh? What kind of stupid question is that?"

"Might be, but the point stands. What's really bothering you?"

"What? I-"

"Are you mad about Lancelot or just your old man in general?" He asked, leaning back as he relaxed himself. "No wait, that's not right at all. Let me rephrase that: Are you mad about your old man's decision or is it something else about him completely?"

"What are you getting on about?"

"You still care about your old man don't you? That's why you're getting so upset isn't it?"

...!

Mordred gazed at her Master with an incredulous look on her face, speechless with her jaw agape at what he had just said.

It was but a short moment however as soon enough the blonde began to rant once more.

"Hah?! Where in blazes did that come from?!" She demanded. Just how in the world did her Master come to that conclusion!?

"You ask me where... but it's pretty obvious."

Kairi replied, having taken off his sunglasses to clean them for a moment as he looked his Servant clean in the eye before putting them back on.

"You act like you hate your old man a lot, that you're going to surpass him and be a greater king than he was and all that. But the fact that you're still concerned over him and what he says and does says differently. If you're really going to do what you say you will, then what he does shouldn't even bother you at all should it?"

"No, that's...!"

"But it is isn't it?" The mercenary asked, crossing his arms as calmly spoke once more. "Look, I'm not going to say that you should try to make up with your old man. It's not my business and I know that much. But I am asking is what do you really feel towards him."

"I..."

Mordred began, but was unable to continue as she found no words to speak.

As much as she hated to admit it, her Master was right in asking her that. Just what did she feel towards her father? She didn't even know herself anymore.

Anger, hate, admiration, regret... she felt all this and more whenever she thought of her father. Dammit, why couldn't it be all so simple?

"Can't tell can you? I think I have an idea for that." Kairi said, standing up as he motioned the blonde to follow.

"And that is?" She asked, still sitting down on the bench.

"Go and pick a fight with him." Kairi turned and replied with a smirk. "Last I heard, your old man is well enough to do a light spar isn't he? Get into a scrap I say, and maybe then you can figure things out for yourself."

"Hmph... why are you helping me like this?" Mordred asked, crossing her arms. "You said it yourself, it's none your business what I do with my father isn't it?"

"True, but you're really starting to get on my nerves with this love-hate thing you have with your old man. Just pick one already!"

So her Master said. At the very least, Mordred believed that he was being sincere about that, but she also felt that there was another factor as well.

Wait, could it be...?

* * *

 _Two nights ago..._

 _"Master, this place is...?"_

 _Mordred began, taking note of the graveyard that she and Kairi had entered. As expected from such a place, numerous graves littered the area. To her, being in such a place was troubling to say the least. Her Master wasn't thinking of doing that was he...?_

 _"Hey Master, if you plan on grave robbing you're on your own."_

 _"Shut it, just what the hell do you take me for anyway?!" Kairi exclaimed in annoyance._

 _"A necromancer, a person who willingly makes use of the remains of the dead as instruments in magecraft. Just what do you think you are?"_

 _"One with standards." The mercenary grimaced as he scratched his head. "Even I know better than to advantage of people laid to rest. I only use materials from things or people I personally offed or found laying around somewhere, never from places like this."_

 _"That makes it all the better I suppose..." The blonde muttered dryly with a smirk._

 _Soon afterwards, her Master told her to wait for a moment as he went further in before stopping at a certain grave. He knelt down on one knee, placing a hand on the pedestal._

 _Unable to contain her curiosity, the blonde went in a little closer to get a better read on what the grave said. Thanks to the grail, reading and understanding foreign languages like that of the East was quite simple for a Servant._

 _"Shishigou-"_

 _"That's being rude you know!"_

 _Mordred froze up at Kairi's yell towards her, the latter of whom didn't even turn his back to face her._ _Embarrassed, the blonde decided to let the matter slide._

 _Moments later her Master stood up once more, a small grin on his face as he spoke._

 _"Sorry to cut this visit short, I'll come back again kiddo..."_

 _He muttered low enough that she barely heard it. Did she hear that right?_

 _In the end, Mordred didn't really ask who the grave belonged to as they left._

 _However, if she heard right and her Masters words were anything to go by, then..._

* * *

"That night... that grave you visited belonged to your child didn't it?"

Mordred blurted out, not bothering to think about what she was saying.

When she saw that her Master had stopped moving, she knew that she had hit the mark with her question.

"Close, she was my stepdaughter to be precise." Kairi replied, turning his attention back towards the blonde. "Died a few years back, I'll spare you the details for now but let's just say she died because of a mistake I made."

"I see..." Mordred muttered.

"And that was random, why are you bringing her up?"

"Are you helping me because of her?" She simply asked with an annoyed frown. "Because if you are doing this because I remind you of her or something, then I'll hit you."

The red knight felt as though she was being pitied. She hated that, least of all by her own Master. Her pride as a knight and warrior wouldn't allow for it!

"Hah! In your dreams!" Kairi laughed as he smirked at the young blonde. "Listen here, my kid was hell of a lot cuter than you so don't you even bother to try and compare yourself to her you hear me? There's just no contest at all."

Mordred blinked in silence at this. Somehow, she felt she had been greatly insulted just then.

* * *

"A fine day today..."

Atop a cliff, surrounded by a forest as far as the eye can see, stood Arash. The Iranian hero of myth quietly gazing at the scenery before him. Whether it be the past or in the present, there was always a sense of tranquility to be had when looking down one's surroundings from such high places.

And as an Archer-Class Servant, he was at a place where he could fight most effectively. It gave him a perfect view of everything within a mile radius and more. Aside from maybe the stronger ones, he believed he wouldn't have had any problems picking off their enemies with ease from where he was.

"I'm still alive, huh..."

Arash muttered to himself, still unable to believe what had just occurred yesterday evening.

Last he remembered it, he had sentenced himself to death by deciding to utilize Stella against Saber of Red. No, that name longer suited her did it? Clad in red she might have been, but the Black and Red Factions had more or less united already weren't they? He might as well refer to Saber by her given name.

Mordred... was it? Yes, last time he had used his Noble Phantasm against her only for his attempt to end her be foiled by the gold clad Servant who he would later find out to be none other the King of Heroes himself. Arash knew of him well enough, the mythical God-King of Uruk. Their lands were located near each other, with location of Mesopotamia's old territories being south to his homeland. As such, though they were separated by time, he supposed the Golden King was in a sense a neighbor to him.

Had he not been dying then, he would have been glad to have a formal exchange of words with such a hero of legend. Perhaps now he had the opportunity to do so, he wondered what his and Mordred's reactions were going to be when they found out he was still alive.

"Is something the matter?"

Behind him, Assassin appeared as she walked up next to the black-haired hero.

"Oh Assassin, I guess that Caster's finished with you then?" He asked with a smile.

"Y-Yes... and I do hope that I never go through that again."

What the fox-eared woman did... it sent shivers down her spine just thinking about it. Who knew that the people of the East would be able to think of such things? She shook her head trying to forget as she turned her attention fully towards her current companion.

"Were you thinking about something?"

"Nothing much, I was just wondering about how Mordred and the King of Heroes would react to the idea of me being alive." He grinned in response. "And because of this, I still have a chance of meeting with Saber again. He'll probably be surprised too!"

"I see." The former nodded before lowering her head. "Archer, I have to apologize..."

"Hmm? What for?"

"During the last battle, if I had done better, then maybe..."

"Hey come on now, it's not your fault. I probably would have used Stella either way. The child of Saber was quite a volatile young woman if I do say so myself, it was inevitable that battle nearly ended the way it did."

"Still..." The violet haired assassin began.

...!

She flinched when she felt a light tap on her forehead, inflicted upon her by Arash.

"Come on, I said it's alright didn't I?"

"Hehe..."

Serenity could only give a small smile in response. Archer really was a kind person, she could see him being popular with the people because of it. An ideal hero as they say. Better than some plain old assassin such as herself who hid and struck from the shadows.

"Tell me Archer, what was it like? Dying and coming back to life again?"

She then asked, a question she had been meaning to ask since Archer's return to them yesterday evening.

"Aren't we technically already like that to begin with?" Arash joked before crossing his arms. "Well, I get what you really mean. I'll admit, it's really strange. One minute I'm dying and then the next I'm still alive. I suppose it's nothing new for Servants, but it's still strange in a way. Our Master sure is something to be able to pull off such an incredible feat without even trying."

"Indeed. She's a young girl at heart, but she's also something else entirely."

Serenity nodded in agreement. Even now, she still wondered to herself how their Master managed to pull it off. But she supposed that such things were beyond her understanding to begin with. She was an Assassin after all, not a magus.

"Oh, here you two are~"

A voice called out. Turning their backs, the two looked to see Caster coming upon them with a smile on her face.

"Wait, am I interrupting something? My apologies Serenity-chan~"

Tamamo teased. It was no secret to her that Assassin had an attraction towards Archer. She actually found it rather sweet.

"N-No, nothing's going on." Serenity replied, a frown on her face as she narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Is there something you need Caster?"

"Oh no, don't mind little old me." The fox-eared woman replied. "I'm just here to take in the breeze, being in that cave all the time is not good for a beauty like myself~"

"Great, now that you're here, I've been meaning to ask you both something."

"Hmm? What is it Archer?" Tamamo asked. Serenity perked up as well, curious to hear what the Iranian hero had to say.

"Do the two of you remember anything about your old Masters?" He asked, scratching the back of his head as he continued. "I've been trying to remember mine, but everything is sort of a blur to me. I remember a red-haired woman with a white hairband, but not much else. I think she and I went drinking once..."

"My Master was a decrepit old man, I believe that he was killed by someone but I cannot remember who to be honest." Serenity replied, somewhat flippantly to be precise.

"As for me, my Master wasn't anyone special." Tamamo declared as huge grin grew on her face. "Right now, all that matters to me is my adorable little Manaka-chan. Having a little girl for a Master is so much fun~!"

Arash and Serenity could only smile ruefully at this, feeling pity for their Master as they knew how _friendly_ Tamamo was with her.

* * *

"Thank you again for this Sieg."

"It's alright Ruler, it's not really a problem for me."

Back at the estate, seated within the living room of the Sajyou Manor was Jeanne, Sieg, and Astolfo. The former two currently in the middle of doing Laeticia's homework.

 _'This is multiplied by ten...? And that is...'_

Though she made a promise to do it, Jeanne was ashamed to admit that this was the first time in days she actually got to doing Laeticia's homework properly. She had been staving off the problem for a while, not knowing how to solve most of it.

Currently, each of the members of the alliance were off doing their own thing. Having decided to take some time off to gather their strength, most decided to remain at the estate while others went out on patrol near the area. She would have participated herself, but she had been reminded of the problem left to her by her host.

 _'Ugh, this is so hard...'_

The young saint mentally groaned as she stared at math problem before her. While reading and writing was no longer an issue for her thanks to the knowledge she had gained from Laeticia, it seemed mathematics was still somewhat beyond her. She could do basic math well enough, she needed to know as such thanks to her time as a soldier.

A part of her would have asked Arthur for help, but it would have been too embarrassing for the young saint and he'd likely tease her over it. And she didn't really know if he would have been much help to begin with. She needed someone else, and luckily Sieg provided the answer to her when the young homunculus came across her and offered his assistance. It turned out that he and the other homunculi were all quite skilled in said matters.

Perhaps it was to be expected given the nature of his existence. Either way, in her eyes he was a blessing from God...!

"Um... what does this problem ask?"

"Oh, that's quite simple actually."

So said the former. In truth, to Jeanne it seemed endlessly complicated. Coefficient? Square Root? What was all that? She could feel her mind going mad trying to solve the endless riddles presented before her. Truly, the modern generation was to be admired if this was what they had to face all the time in school.

"I don't understand Ruler, why do you have to do something like this?"

Astolfo asked, being just as confused as Jeanne herself as he went through the math book owned by Laeticia. Swirls in his eyes as he tried to make sense of everything he read. This is what people of the modern age had to go through in their studies!?

"It's simple really, I made a promise to owner of this vessel that I'm currently using." Jeanne replied, turning to look at Sieg as she continued speaking. "At any rate, I'm curious about something. How did your training with Caster go earlier Sieg?"

The young saint asked, knowing that during the early morning the young homunculus had been pulled aside by Medea. Knowing how strong he was now, the Servant of Magic proceeded to take Sieg and help him gain mastery over his draconic powers.

Sieg paused, not knowing to respond to Ruler's words.

"Um... complicated I suppose."

"The training went well." Astolfo interrupted. "The only thing complicated is this book!"

The young paladin cried as he threw it into the air.

"That's no good Rider, you can't do that."

Arthur spoke up, having caught the book as he placed it back down on the table where trio sat at.

"Education is a gift that should be treasured, it's not to be taken lightly."

"So you say, but you're enjoying this aren't you?"

Jeanne stated with a half-lidded look in her eyes, unamused by how the young man was smiling at her the entire time she was trying to solve the problems before her. Instead of electing to help her, the young man instead decided to simply observe the spectacle before him. All with a grin on his face.

"Hehe, I won't deny that..."

The young man stated, chuckling slightly. Jeanne simply pouted in response and huffed while turning her attention away.

Really now, teasing her again like that. At times like this, she noted that Arthur really was too much of a lighthearted person.

 _'Still, after last night... he really is doing better than I expected.'_

A smile grew on her face, her mind filling up with memories from the night before...

* * *

 _Following the return of the groups led by Waver and Kairi to the Sajyou Estate, Arthur took Jeanne to the greenhouse and asked Caster for some privacy. While somewhat suspicious of his intentions, to which he swore that he saw a disturbing glint in the blue-haired woman's eyes, the Servant of Magic nodded in understanding. Leaving the area with her young Master despite Roche's protests of continuing their work there._

 _Jeanne herself was somewhat curious as well. Why did Arthur bring her out here so suddenly? She and the others were going to have a discussion about their next step soon. As Ruler, it was her duty to be there and add her voice in the matter as well._

 _That wasn't going into the fact that she was still recovering from her... episode earlier. Just thinking about was highly embarrassing!_

 _'Clear thoughts, clear thoughts...'_

 _She told herself, calming her mind._

 _"Tell me something, did you know the truth behind Berserker this entire time? About him being Lancelot?"_

 _"...!?"_

 _That caught her off guard, enough to snap Jeanne out from her short mantra._

 _She didn't... well, perhaps she should have expected it but she didn't think their talk would have happened this soon._

 _Seeing no point in beating around the bush, Jeanne spoke up in reply._

 _"Yes, I did..."_

 _"I see..."_

 _Arthur sighed to himself, not really knowing what to say. As such, he decided to keep his questions simple._

 _"You knew the truth since then, didn't you? During the night you summoned me..." He asked, to which the girl simply nodded. "Why didn't you say anything back then?"_

 _"I didn't know how you would react." Jeanne replied, holding herself slightly. "That day, when I caught you reading Laeticia's book, you spoke of Lancelot fondly. Despite everything, you still consider him a friend don't you?"_

 _"I do. If there's anyone I would trust my life with, it would be none other than Lancelot."_

 _"I knew it. And what do you think of him being a Berserker?"_

 _To be honest, Jeanne herself wouldn't know what to think if someone she cared for in life was summoned as one of the Berserker-Class. True, there were exceptions who could retain their sanity such as Berserker of Black. But the idea of someone she knew, driven to madness by circumstances beyond their control, and having to face off with them in combat as well... she didn't think she could bear it._

 _That's what she believed, and Arthur was actually going through it right now._

 _"Indeed, I never would have imagined I would have to cross blades with him as he is right now." Arthur replied, his voice somewhat distant. "I suppose I can see why you would choose to withhold this piece of information from me. Had it been the me from back then, perhaps I might have allowed both him and Mordred to take my head. I've wronged them both after all..."_

 _"You're not still thinking that are you...?"_

 _"Of course not, I'm merely contemplating the idea by itself. Should I face off against Lancelot again, I know what I must do." He replied, facing towards the young saint with a smile on his face as he laid a hand over her shoulder. "As I am right now, I have no intention of dying to anyone. At the very least, not until we've settled all the problems we're facing. It be rather cruel of me to just leave you to solve it all by yourself after all."_

 _Jeanne simply smiled in return at the former's words, quite thankful that Arthur was handling the situation regarding Lancelot better than she had imagined._

 _She only hoped that it would last..._

* * *

"Ruler?"

"Huh?"

With Sieg calling out to her, the young saint snapped out from her memories of the night before.

"Is something the matter?" He asked, a confused look in his eyes. "Just now you were staring off into space."

"Sieg's correct." Arthur added as he got off from the wall walked towards his Master with a concerned look on his face. "You're not still feeling hungry are you?"

"Still? Wait, are you calling me a glutton?"

Jeanne muttered in a low tone, unamused by the implications of the young man's statement.

"Wait what?"

"It's true that I eat more than the average person, but I was a soldier so it's only natural that I consume more!" She huffed in her own defense. "And honestly Arthur, I don't know if you should be one to talk. I've seen you eat just as much if not more."

"Ugh..."

Arthur groaned, not knowing what to do at the moment. There was truth to the young saint's words, but that was not what he was taken aback by. Very rarely did the young saint ever get worked up as she was right now in the time that they've known each other. As such, he had little experience dealing with this side of herself.

"M-My apologies, it wasn't my intention to insult you like that."

"Hmph!"

Jeanne huffed as she merely went back to work with Sieg, to which the young man simply sighed to himself as he scratched the back of his head. The last time he had teased her about being a glutton she was much more tame in her reaction.

Ah, but of course. Jests at a woman's weight was a sensitive topic to begin with. He'll have to apologize later once she calmed down.

"Hehe~!"

As for the young saint herself, she smiled slightly as she caught the troubled look on Arthur's face. Though a part of her felt bad for faking anger at her friend, she now understood what it felt to tease someone. It was rather fun, no wonder he often did it with her.

"Father."

All perked up once Mordred's voice was heard calling out to Arthur. Turning their attention towards the source, they saw the red knight wearing nothing but her casual clothes as she stood at the entrance to the living room. A pair of wooden swords in her hands as her Master appeared beside her.

...!

Before any words could be spoken, the young blonde casually threw one of the swords at her father.

"You and me, outside."

With that, the red knight left before hearing her father's response. Gazing at the weapon in his hand, he briefly turned his attention towards Jeanne, Sieg, and Astolfo.

"None of you interfere."

He spoke, walking out of the room as he followed Mordred outside.

* * *

"Might I ask what the occasion is for?"

"Do I need a reason to beat you around?"

"Fair enough then."

Arthur and Mordred each spoke, standing across from the other as they readied themselves in the front yard of the manor. It was a smaller space than Arthur would have liked, but her felt that it would have been enough if they were merely going to spar using practice weapons.

He was surprised by the suddenness of Mordred's decision to have a spar with him. She had refused last time, though that was more his fault than anything else due to poor choice of words he had spoken that night. Either way, he wasn't about to refuse either. He had been meaning to get into one himself since he had mostly recovered already from his earlier wounds. He once again would have to thank Caster for it later on.

 _'Father...'_

Mordred silently though to herself, staring down on the form of her father as he readied himself.

Ah, there it was. Always ever in a perfect position, holding the weapon with both hands. The ideal stance for any swordsman. Mordred never cared much for proper form or technique, so long as she managed to defeat her opponents then it wouldn't have mattered either way. In the end, so long as she had strength she was sure she could overcome any challenge that came her way.

Still, for all that she believed in...

 _'I was still beaten by him... and he wasn't even trying back then!'_

The mere thought of it nearly sent her over the edge, it was incredibly insulting to her pride as a warrior. But now wasn't the time to get mad, it would have defeated the entire purpose of what she was planning on doing today.

 _'Just what do I really feel towards him huh...?'_

Her Master had asked of her. Mordred simply scoffed at it, she already knew what she felt towards her father. Why bother questioning it? She wanted him to acknowledge her, and to do that she needed to surpass him! She was annoyed at the fact that her Master was telling her to do this. Then again, she had wanted to continue her fight with her father for some time now. Even if it wasn't to the death like she had imagined, it was still close enough.

This time, she wasn't going to lose...!

"Hah!"

...!

The sound of wood smashing against wood resounded through the area, the fight between Arthur and Mordred beginning in its earnest. A trade of blows swiftly occurring as parent and child fought against the other.

"Ruler, are you sure about this...?"

Sieg asked, as he, Astolfo, and Jeanne stood by the sidelines observing the fight.

"Yes, I am sure. We shall not interfere."

"But..."

"Don't worry about it Sieg." Astolfo interrupted, causing the young homunculus to look at him "Sometimes, people do stupid things. You can't always expect them to do something logical, otherwise life would be very boring you know? I for one cannot stand that no sir~! Which is why I'll always do whatever I set my heart to!"

"No wonder you can be such a flighty Servant then..."

"Yes, a flighty-Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"

Jeanne simply giggled at the young paladin as he began to argue with his homunculus Master. Soon afterwards she then turned her attention towards the man that she knew was responsible for instigating the event before them.

"Please stop staring at me like that."

Kairi politely asked, not bothering to turn though he knew of her stare. The way Ruler was looking at him made him feel like a criminal. Now true, in some places he would have been considered as one but that wasn't the point right now. He supposed it was because she was a Catholic Saint? There was something mildly off putting about someone like that staring you down the same way Ruler was doing to him right now.

"Mister Shishigou... just what are you planning by having Mordred fight against Arthur once more?"

"She needed to blow off some steam, and figured the best way to do that is to have her beat her old man around." Kairi stated, arms crossed as he observed the fight. "Say, you're not _that_ mad are you?"

"No, I'm not really mad."

Jeanne stated frankly with a sigh, though it was something of a lie as well. She supposed that it was only natural to assume that another fight would occur between Arthur and Mordred one way or another. Perhaps she should have been glad that they were just using wooden swords against each other instead of their main weapons. At least that way they weren't going to be seriously injured. Then again, it might still be too early to say that.

"Still..."

...!

Another resounding clash occurred between Arthur and Mordred's weapons. Though both were holding back, the force behind their swings still enough to kick the dirt and grass surrounding them as weak shock waves emanated from their blows.

"Those wooden swords are remarkably durable. Did you have anything to do with that Caster?"

Jeanne asked, turning her attention towards the blue-haired woman who had just appeared beside her.

"Good guess Ruler, Saber had asked that I reinforce them the other night." She replied, taking in the sight before her. "They didn't see any use then of course. Are you quite sure that you do not wish to interfere?"

"Yes, in spite of how sudden it came, I believe that Mordred needs this from Arthur. It might be the only way for them to truly communicate..." The young saint noted with a sad smile on her face. "Even should I wish to step in as Ruler, I have no right to interfere what's happening between them."

Medea simply nodded in understanding. The fight in question was incredibly personal to both parties involved. She doubted she would have wanted someone to step in if she ever had a chance to deal with a personal problem herself.

"Speaking of which Ruler, I've finished my task of turning this estate into a proper foothold. We should now be ready for any assault made on this place."

"I see, thank you for your hard work then Caster."

Jeanne smiled brightly at the blue-haired witch, to which Medea simply blushed lightly in response. The blonde truly was quite a beauty. Combined with her earnest and kind nature, she felt embarrassed being thanked by such a wonderful girl.

Hmm, she wondered to herself if the young saint was interested in trying out some dresses she had in mind later...

* * *

...!

"Good, you're doing well!"

"Shut up! Stop me praising me like that!"

Mordred demanded as she swung her sword at her father, who simply parried the strike as he continued his defensive streak. An act which was noted by the former as she had noted that he had yet to go on a serious counterattack.

"Fight me seriously would you!?"

...!

"You think I'm someone to be looked down upon!?"

...!

"You thought wrong!"

...!

Three hard strikes, the third having enough force in it that it sent her father's weapon into the air. Smirking, Mordred quickly raised hers and struck.

"You're mine!"

...!

"What!?"

Before she even knew it, her father had managed to stop her weapon by grabbing it with both hands mid-swing. Taking advantage of her stupor, Arthur yanked the sword free and into his own hands as he grabbed his own weapon as it dropped from above.

...!

"Gah!"

Mordred flinched in pain as she felt two strikes land upon her body, resulting in her dropping on the ground after the deed was done.

"Ooh, now that one I could feel even from here!"

Astolfo commented with a grin on his face. One that Jeanne agreed with, silently gazing at the scene before her. She felt that Arthur's strike just now felt more excessive than it should have been. Just what was he doing?

As for Mordred herself, the blonde managed to get on her knees as she held her sides. Gathering her bearings on what just happened.

 _'Damn it all...!'_

It wasn't even that long since the fight started and already her father managed to get the best of her. Just what was she doing wrong!?

"What's the matter Mordred? Your movements are slacking." Arthur stated as he made his towards the red knight and stopped to drop her weapon in front of her. "Unless you put more effort into your movements, everything about you becomes clear as day."

"You saying that you predicted my attack? That you allowed yourself to lose your weapon!?"

"Did you really think that my grip is that weak? You've already fought me before, so you should know."

"Tch...!"

But of course, there was truth to her father's words. She had already swung her real blade at him more times than she could count. There was no way that her father's grip was so weak that she could easily disarm him the way she did just now.

Gritting her teeth, she cursed herself once more. She should have known better than to believe so readily that she had the upper hand!

"Now then, shall we continue this or is this fight already over?"

"No, not yet!"

Mordred exclaimed as she grabbed her weapon and resumed her attack.

...!

 _Why did you refuse to give me the throne?!_

...!

 _Why did you refuse to acknowledge me as your child?! Do you hate me that much?!_

As their swords continuously parried each other's strikes, memories of their duel that fateful day on that bloody hill filled the young blonde's mind. The questions she demanded be answered back then continually repeating within her deepest thoughts.

Her father's answer back then proved unsatisfactory to her. Just what did he mean by that?

 _Not once have I ever hated you Mordred. Even now, I feel no such thing..._

He said he never hated her, so why...?

...!

Why did he reject her?!

...!

Her father was so kind as to forgive Lancelot for his transgressions. For everything the Knight of the Lake did, her father had chosen to forgive him.

A part of her hated her father for it, as Lancelot had killed a number of their comrades. However, that wasn't the only reason why she hated it...

Because, if he was capable of such kindness... then why couldn't he applied it to her and accepted her back then as well?

...!

"Gah!"

Mordred cried out in pain, having been blown back a distance away by her father's last strike. Not about to let herself be looked down upon, she quickly stood up and went on the offensive once more.

As she swung her sword at her father, the latter simply stood still as he anticipated the strike.

...!

He parried it. The red knight struggled as she tried to overpower Arthur, who himself slowly narrowed his eyes at the former as he spoke.

"What's with this display Mordred? I know you can do better than this."

"S-SHUT UP!"

...!

She exclaimed, using her magical power to momentarily increase her strength.

It quickly proved enough as Arthur leaped out of the way as he weapon smashed the ground the where he stood.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT COMING FROM THE ONE WHO DENIED ME EVERYTHING!"

Mordred yelled, dropping her wooden sword as she summoned Clarent into her hands.

Seeing this, Arthur did the same as he summoned Excalibur as well.

...!

As their blades collided, Medea had quickly put up a barrier that shielded them and their surroundings from the force of the impact. While the blast of air by itself, albeit a powerful one, wasn't going to be all that harmful to Servants like her, the estate would have likely been damaged already had she not.

However, if the fight kept up as it did, her spell wouldn't last long either.

"What's going on here!?"

Joining Jeanne and the others was the group of Waver, Gray, Fiore, and Caules. Also accompanied by the latter three's Servants, Siegfried, Achilles, and Elizabeth.

"W-What? Why is the princess fighting with Saber?" The latter cried out in surprise.

"Oh? Let me join too!" Achilles muttered in excitement but was pulled back by Siegfried much to his annoyance.

"Did something happen?" Fiore asked as well, not taking her eyes off the spectacle before her.

"Oh, El-Melloi. I was wondering when you'd show up." Kairi greeted.

"Shishigou? What in blazes is happening!?" Waver demanded as he walked up to his fellow adult. "I went to survey the area together with the Forvedge Siblings and I come back to see Saber and Saber of Red trying to kill each other!?"

"Long story short, I had Saber pick a fight with her old man." The mercenary stated as he raised his arms in defense. "Calm down, I only did this because she's been acting all stressed the entire day. I think she needs this in order to vent. And don't worry, if you pay close attention they're not killing each other... Well, not yet anyway."

"Is that supposed to reassure me!?" The long-haired man exclaimed in annoyance before turning to Jeanne herself. "Ruler, why are you just letting this happen?"

"I know how this seems Lord El-Melloi, but please do not interfere as well." Jeanne simply replied much to the surprise of the new arrivals. "I've already asked the others to do the same, for this is a fight that can only be settled by those two alone. It's not our place to stop it."

Whatever Waver had to say, he couldn't find it in himself to speak for he found truth in the young saint's words. As much as he wanted to end the fight already, as it wasn't a time for them to bickering amongst themselves, there was really no stopping two Servants once they had a go at each other unless something special happened. And given the identities of the ones involved, there really was no turning back from it anymore.

* * *

Hours later...

...!

The battle between Arthur and Mordred continued. Since the beginning of their fight during the early afternoon, hours had passed and now the sun had already started to set. Neither side showed any signs of letting up, and the others who were bearing witness to the event could only remain silence they continued to observe.

...!

"Hah!"

Mordred cried out as she charged her father. At that, she and Arthur continued to trade blows with one another. Light traces of lightning emanating from Clarent and golden light from Excalibur with both swords locked with each other. The two knights struggling to overpower the other.

"Tell me something father...!"

The young blonde began, snarling the last word as glared at Arthur. As she was about to speak her question, she found no words coming out from her mouth. She gritted her teeth as a result, cursing her own cowardice.

 _'Why am I hesitating...?!'_

Mordred told herself. This wasn't the time for such things! If she had something to say, she might as well say it already!

And with that...

"Why did you choose to reject me?!"

"...!?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Arthur's footing had slipped which gave Mordred an opportunity to strike. Not about to let himself be done in, the young man quickly got out of the way as the former swung her sword down hard, kicking up the earth blow.

...!

His time to recover didn't last long however, as soon afterwards Mordred was on his trail again as their blades locked once more.

"Answer me King Arthur! Just why did you do it?!" The latter demanded once more. "Back then, on that hill you said you didn't hate me... so why!? Was it because of my mother?! Was I untrustworthy as an heir because of her?! You and I both know that she was never much of a threat to you, much less a bastard child such as myself!"

"No, that's not it..."

"Then what?! Give me your reason then!" She yelled once more. "Back at the banquet you said you even acknowledged my potential to succeed you, so why?!"

Arthur remained silent at this, briefly taking a moment to breath as he narrowed his eyes.

...!

"Gah!"

Having been distracted with her demands of him, Mordred failed to see the incoming knee to her gut. Resulting in her taking a few steps back as she held herself in pain, her father stepping back as well to which she simply glared at him in response.

"You...!" She muttered venomously.

"Apologies, but I didn't think we could talk with you so consumed by rage. Have you calmed down?"

"Tch, I'm not hitting you yet am I?" Mordred sarcastically replied.

"Heh, I suppose not." He chuckled slightly. The red knight frowned at this, but decided to not say anything for now.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur sighed for a moment as he gazed at the others. Knowing that he was silently asking for some privacy, the others reluctantly left.

 _"Don't do anything that I'll get mad at you for alright?"_

Jeanne telepathically called out to him as she smiled at the young man for a brief moment, soon turning her attention away as she quickly led the others inside. Arthur merely shook his head, bemused by the young saint's worry for him.

With them gone, Arthur soon turned his attention back towards Mordred.

"Now then, is this the reason why you decided to call me out here? To demand an answer from me about what I feel about you?"

"What do you think?" Mordred sarcastically replied once more, annoyed at her father's insistence of asking questions himself. This situation was already embarrassing enough as it is. "I've already said what I wanted to say, make of that what you will. Or do I even need to repeat myself?"

"I see..."

Arthur smiled briefly with a nod. He supposed that now was the time to say his piece as well.

Here's to hoping all went well...

"Then allow me to repeat what I told you before Mordred... I've never hated you. I've always respected you as a Knight and as a warrior."

"That's a lie and you know it!"

Mordred suddenly exclaimed, a reignited fire in her eyes and her palms tightening into fists as they shook.

"If that was really the case, then why did...! Why did you refuse to acknowledge me as your heir? As your child!?"

Arthur momentarily remained still, taking note of the former's demeanor and felt guilt growing within him as he gazed at her in silence before speaking.

"The fault lays with me." He simply said. "Let me simply say that-"

"No!" Mordred quickly interrupted, raising Clarent towards Arthur. "I want the whole truth, everything! Don't try to hide anything from me or I'll know."

"Very well then, I've said it before and I'll say it again." Arthur replied, crossing his arms as he continued. "Truth of the matter was that I never hated Mordred, I assure you of that. You've always done right by me, the others even if you didn't get along with them as much as I would have liked, and as well as our kingdom. You had your issues, but they weren't anything you couldn't over come with time..."

The red knight remained in silence at this, trying to beat down the sense of elation that quickly formed in her chest.

"However, I was angry at you..."

"Huh, angry...?"

"I suppose it wasn't your fault, I acted out based on my poisoned thoughts that day..."

"Wait, what do you mean...?" Mordred asked, confused by her father's words.

"Do you remember Lucius?"

"...!"

Of course she remembered, there was no way she wouldn't remember.

Lucius... he was her little brother. Though perhaps half-brother was the correct term, as he was the offspring of a union between her father and Guinevere. She didn't really know him well, at least in the way siblings should know each other, but she knew enough. He was a good lad, always respectful of others.

Though more than once she and her fellow knights would sometimes go out to find him when he'd suddenly disappear on them from time to time. His idea of hide and seek she supposed, the boy lacked proper friends his own age so he turned to her and the knights. Some of them were annoyed by his antics, but she didn't mind. After all, whether or not the truth was known, she was the elder sibling so it was her duty to look after her younger brother.

That, and it was certainly hilarious to see the serious Agravain panicking like a maiden whenever Lucius ran off.

"The day he passed..." Arthur began, tightening his grip on Excalibur somewhat as he continued. "I felt like something inside of me died as well at that moment. To cope, I buried myself in my work, and Guinevere found hers in Lancelot's arms..."

"Do you hate her for that...?"

No, knowing her father, his answer was likely...

"Of course not, I could never bring myself to that." Arthur replied, a crooked smile on his face as he shook his head. "She had her reasons, and I don't blame her. But that's another matter entirely... we're talking about you aren't we?"

Mordred waited with baited breath as her father paused for a moment, one that felt like an eternity to her, before speaking once more.

"Not long after Lucius' passing, you revealed yourself to me. My child, born of union between myself and my own blood related sister." Arthur replied, his voice straining somewhat as he continued. "I suppose you still remember that day...?"

"I can... it's not like I'll ever forget it."

Mordred muttered with a sigh, her memories of that day coming forth from the back of her mind...

* * *

 _"Ridiculous...!"_

 _Mordred stared wide eyed at her father's proclamation. She was currently on her knee, having just explained her existence to her father who himself sat on his throne._

 _The young blonde raised her head, having hoped to see a look of joy on her father's face only to see an expression she rarely thought to see on her beloved father._

 _It was a look of contempt and anger..._

 _"Father...?"_

 _"Do not call me that!" Arthur exclaimed, narrowing his eyes in anger at Mordred as he continued. "You would dare speak such lies to me? You would dare to think that I would consider you my child!? As if I could ever accept such foolishness!"_

 _"N-No! I-I swear on my name that I'm not lying father...! On my pride and honor as a Knight, I swear that everything I have said is true. I would never lie to you-"_

 _"That's a lie in itself."_

 _Arthur stated, his tone now calmed from his earlier outburst and the fiery gaze in his eyes replaced with a cold narrow stare._

 _"You say that you would never lie to me, yet by having hid your identity to me this entire time, you realize that you have been lying to me as well?"_

 _"No, that's different! Mother said-!"_

 _"Mother? Ah yes, Morgan..."_

 _Arthur muttered quietly to himself, gritting his teeth at the mention of his sister's name._

 _"That woman... did she plan this? Lucius' death was suspicious enough as it is, but now this...!?"_

 _Time and again he had made attempts to make peace with his older sister, time and again did he fail. Even despite Morgan's attempts to remove him from power, he never really begrudged her for it either. She was simply following through with her beliefs and he was doing no less by stopping her._

 _But now this..._

 _"Father...?" Mordred asked, noticing that her father had gone quiet once her mother had been mentioned..._

 _"Get out of my sight."_

 _"Huh...?"_

 _The young knight looked up, trying to make sense of what she was hearing._

 _"I ordered you to leave. The only child I have is Lucius... I have no other! I will not tolerate any pretenders even from the likes of one of my knights. Especially not from a pawn of my Sister's!"_

 _"W-Wait, father please...!"_

 _"I told you to never call me that! From this moment onward, you are to be sent back to your mother's domain. I accepted you out of good will before, but now I clearly see that was a mistake from the very beginning! Begone from here!"_

 _Had Mordred had heart made of glass, it would have surely been broken into pieces right now. A empty void was in its place, but not for long._

 _Soon anger began to take shape within the void, her love for her father turning into hatred._

 _On that day, it was at that moment that Mordred, the Knight of Treachery, was truly born..._

* * *

"I have no excuse for what I said that day, nor will I make any." Arthur stated, massaging his temple in shame. "I wronged you that day, there's no point in denying that."

"You said you were angry... it was because you thought I was trying to replace Lucius weren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose so..."

Mordred cursed herself for her own stupidity, of course that was the reason! What else could it have been? That bitch Guinevere's affair with that adulterous bastard Lancelot aside, especially given that it came later, it was the only thing that came to mind that could have affected her father so.

 _'Damn it...!'_

It was truly a foolish move on her part, she should have really known better. Her mother was a traitorous witch and her origins were completely suspect to begin with. She should have never tried to reveal herself back then, at a time when her father was in a period grievance.

Everything that came afterwards... all born from that single mistake...

No... if she was being completely honest, a part of her did acknowledge that she tried to reveal herself in hopes that her father would see her as something to help fill in the void of her lost brother. Though she never really hated him, she was incredibly envious of Lucius ever since she found out about her brother's existence. From the moment of his birth, he had received the love and affection she so craved from their father...

Compared to him, what was she? A bastard child born of an incestuous union between brother and sister. Perhaps she was deluding herself into thinking that she could ever receive the same love and affection her brother got. Still, even if it was insignificant compared to his, she still wanted to believe regardless that she could achieve it...

And all of it lost at that one moment, all because of her own foolishness...!

She gazed ahead of her, looking to see her father looking rather lost himself. It was perhaps the first time she had seen such a look on his face. It actually felt painful to see him that way, it was nothing like the father she had come to admire for so long...

Perhaps that was where it all went wrong, she had forgotten the most basic aspect about her father to begin with.

Her father... he was human too after all.

Humans often made mistakes, were emotionally driven beings and such. Such were the words of her mother to her at one point, and she agreed. People tended to be rather frail, which is why she wanted to be strong so as to not be frail. Strong like her father.

However, it looks as though she was wrong. At heart, her father was just as frail as any other man there was in the world. Why didn't she see it before?

 _'I really am a fool...'_

Mordred berated herself, feeling so utterly foolish. She really did ruing everything for herself didn't she?

The young blonde didn't know how long she and her father had been standing there. Silence had reigned for some time since their last exchange of words, she couldn't even tell what her father was thinking at the moment anymore either. Not with how lost she was herself...

That is, until he started laughing...

"Heh... hehehe!"

Mordred looked up in surprise. What was her father going on about now?

"Aren't we a pair of fools...?"

At her father's words, Mordred merely smiled bitterly as she chuckled slightly in response as well.

"Yeah, we're an extra big pair of idiots...!"

* * *

As the two continued on, observing both from a window was Jeanne who simply smiled in delight at the scene.

With a satisfied nod, the young saint decided to leave father and daughter be. She knew that they had more things to talk about, and thus left both to their privacy once more. An outsider like her shouldn't bear witness to such a thing.

Now then, what was she supposed to do now? She supposed she should try and gather the others for a meeting...

Wait a minute, now that she had time to think about it, she hadn't seen the young girl called Reines and the King of Heroes all day did she?

* * *

"Tch...!"

The Servants of Manaka stood on guard. Arash, Brynhild, and Serenity on one side, Tamamo and Heracles on the other. The son of Zeus ready to strike at a moment's notice as the intruder came upon them. The others couldn't help but wonder just how in blazes did he find them out so easily!?

"Hoh, so this is where you lot have been hiding out all this time."

Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, greeted as he stood at the entrance to their base. Nonchalantly walking towards the group with a smirk on his face, not even bothering to wear his armor and bring out his weapons. Instead, the Golden King was simply dressed in his casual clothes.

 _"Hey, don't you think you should be taking this more seriously...!?"_

Behind the former stood Reines, the young blonde somewhat nervous as she and the Golden King were the only ones among their group to be here. She had advised against coming on their own, but Archer had been adamant and before she knew it she was already here.

 _"Calm yourself Reines, you will not come to harm so long as I am here."_ Gilgamesh assured as he and his master communicated via telepathy. _"Once I've finished my business here we'll be on our way."_

 _"And how long would that take...!?"_

She demanded in annoyance. Though she was tempted to use a Command Spell to get away with Archer, she wasn't about to waste one on mere simple retreat. At least not yet anyway, her pride wouldn't allow it for now even given her current situation.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Reines nearly leaped in fear once she heard Berserker roar out.

"Calm down Berserker, I know that this is the first time you've appeared in a good while but you can't kill them just yet~"

The fox-eared woman said, to which the mad giant somewhat relented at her words. Reines simply sighed in relief, Berserker was incredibly intimidating to look at. He didn't even look human at all, not without how tall he was, the jagged structures on his arms, and the crazed look in his dual-colored eyes.

It was hard to believe that the man before he was the legendary Heracles. To be able to control him so easily as a Berserker, it would take great skill to be able to pull that off.

"Greetings King of Heroes, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Ramesses greeted as he came into view, unfazed by the Gilgamesh's sudden arrival.

"Sun King, your comrades need better manners on how to treat guests." He stated with a smirk, taking time to gaze at Arash. "And I see that one of you that's supposed to be dead is alive, now that has piqued my interest. Pray tell, what happened...?"

"Well that's..." Arash began, unsure of how to proceed.

"Alright, alright, that's enough~"

A voice called out, to which everyone turned their attention towards the source as she walked out of the shadows to greet the Golden King. Much to the surprise of the former and Reines, a young girl came out and greeted them.

"So it was true..." The former muttered in realization.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you King of Heroes, I didn't think we'd meet this soon."

Manaka greeted, a sweet smile on her face.

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so wraps up CH26. First things first, about the Arthur/Mordred thing. I honestly meant to more or less end it by the time Act III got started up. Around maybe the second or third chapters or so. Now I managed to squeeze into a single chapter instead since I felt like dragging it out would be counterproductive as I didn't want to extend it any longer than it already has. Now there won't be any hugs and kisses between the two anytime soon, but they're going to be a lot more amiable now thanks to their fight and talk.

Anyway, I hoped the entire thing with Arthur/Mordred from day one up until now worked well enough. It's my first time writing anything that complex, about a parent and child with a relationship such as theirs. It's honestly pretty difficult nailing it down.

* * *

 _ **Guest Reviewer Section:**_

 _ **White Wolf:** _ Even without taking into account Sha Nagba Imuru,I just based said ability on what I've actually seen of Gil in the original FSN such as the fact that he managed to tell the fact that Altria was no longer a virgin despite being fully clothed. I mean, what in the actual hell? XD Anyway, Ramesses and Tamamo are the ones that came to the conclusion of Gil being a possible mind reader. If anything, based on what Sha Nagba Imuru is actually capable of, it goes beyond that and more since Gil is more or less able to know whatever he wants when he uses it. But given who Gil is, he doesn't make much use of said ability either.

* * *

That's it for now. Again, hoped you all liked the chapter. Please review :D


	28. Act III-27: Passing Night

_**AN:**_ Alright, here's CH27 folks! I hope you all enjoy it, please review if you :D

* * *

...!

"Ugh..."

Aya groaned, her eyes slowly blinking as she came to and took note of the familiar ceiling of her room.

...!

What was that noise? From the sound of it, it was coming from the outside of the house. Did something happen?

"Thank goodness, you're awake now..."

She heard a familiar voice call out. The blonde to turn her head to the source, to which she saw her grandmother sitting on a chair right beside her bed. A look of relief on her face, telling the young blonde that she must've been waiting on her for some time now.

"Grandmother..." Aya stated, trying to sit up. "What's that noise?"

"Come now my sweet, don't try to strain yourself." Ayaka replied as she helped eased her granddaughter into position. "That noise outside is Saber. Right now, he and Saber of Red are dueling each other."

"Dueling each other...?"

"Don't worry, while things got a little rough earlier things have calmed down between them." Ayaka said in reassurance. "Though I suppose given who Saber of Red is, them being rowdy is natural."

"You don't seem like you're worried though..."

The blonde muttered. Even she knew that having both Saber and Saber of Red taking part in a fight against each other was just simply asking for trouble. She was surprised the house was even still standing at this point. Given what her grandmother said it must've been taking place for a while now.

"Am I? Well I suppose it's because I have a feeling that it's going to turn out well enough."

"Why's that?"

"Call it woman's intuition." Ayaka smiled teasingly much to her granddaughter's consternation. "You had me quite worried, coming home all passed out the way you did. It's been a day since then you know, I wasn't sure when you'd wake up."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just that..."

"I understand, you were in shock weren't you?" Ayaka replied, placing a hand on Aya's own. "That girl Gray told me everything. It's alright, that's just natural."

The young blonde smiled at her grandmother's reassurance, but couldn't find it in herself to take it to heart as the memories of the last battle began plaguing her mind...

And as well as memories of Lancer's death...

"Damn it...!"

Aya tightened her grip on the sheets covering her, biting her lip in frustration as her hands scrunched into fists.

It was her fault wasn't it? Maybe had she reacted faster, she could have used a Command Spell to get Lancer out of there. Although if she did that, there was no telling what would have happened to either her or Gray with him gone. They were lucky enough as it is when Lord El-Melloi II and the others arrived to help them. Perhaps she could have used a Command Spell to enhance his abilities once more? There was a chance it could have been the equalizer Lancer needed, but she wasn't sure of the idea either.

Damn it, damn it all...! What was she supposed to do back then!? Because of her inability to do anything, Lancer was killed and his card taken by their enemies. They lost two Servants whereas the Rogue Faction managed to replenish the lost of Archer through Lancer.

She should have been better, she was sure that had either Rin or Sakura been in her shoes, then they would have been able to keep Lancer safe. They were the prodigy children, not her. What was she thinking? Getting caught up in all of this, the outcome should have been obvious already...!

"Aya."

...!

"Huh?"

Before she knew it, the young blonde found herself being pulled into a hug by her grandmother.

"Grandmother...?"

"You're thinking that it's your fault aren't you?" Ayaka softly stated before looking her granddaughter in the eye with a smile on her face. "It's alright, you did the best you could. So don't let it bother you alright?"

"But why shouldn't I blame myself?" Aya muttered bitterly in reply. "If I didn't freeze up back then, I could have saved Lancer. He could still be-"

"Nothing is set in stone, you know that don't you?" The former replied as she placed a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder reassuringly. "Listen my sweet, I've made my own fair share of mistakes over the years. Some of them I wish that I could change, but there's also no point in dwelling on them either. The only thing we can do, is keep on looking ahead and move forward with our lives. Do you understand me?"

"I-I guess..."

Aya relented with a nod, her grandmother had a point. There really was no point in moping about it now, and she was sure that if Lancer were with her he'd likely say the same thing as well albeit in a more crude manner she supposed.

Still, with Lancer's card having been taken by Angelica, she knew that eventually he was going to be re-summoned once more. And this time, he was going to be their enemy without a doubt. She wasn't looking forward to it, and slightly hoped that it didn't come to pass.

Sighing, the young blonde turned her attention back towards her grandmother as she smiled at her.

"Thanks grandma, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Hehe, I'm always here darling. I don't plan on going anywhere soon."

Ayaka replied, pulling her granddaughter in for another hug.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 27:**_

 _ **Passing Night**_

* * *

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you King of Heroes, I didn't think we'd meet this soon."

Manaka greeted, a sweet smile on her face. Gilgamesh could only narrow his eyes as he gazed at the young girl before him. Though she looked no older than Reines, he knew at a glance that the girl was not what she seemed.

"Girl... who are you?"

"Hmm? Didn't Saber tell you about me~?" Manaka asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "Ah well, I suppose it can't be helped then. My name is-"

"I know who you are Sajyou Manaka." The Golden King replied while crossing his arms. "You are the elder sister of the old woman who owns the estate that myself and the others currently reside in, as well as the victor for the last true Holy Grail War sixty years ago so Saber and the others say."

"Oh? You don't believe them?"

"I believe them, for I see no reason for the King of Knights to lie about you." Gilgamesh stated, smirking slightly as he continued. "And while those clothes may hide it, I see that the wound he's dealt you all those years ago has yet to heal itself hasn't it? Perhaps that's to be expected given what you are..."

At this, Manaka simply narrowed her eyes as her smile widened.

"Oh my, now that's quite rude."

She said, placing both hands on her chest while continuing to speak.

"This isn't a wound, it's mark of Saber's love for me. After all, wounds hurt you don't they? Yet I feel nothing from this gaping hole on my body. Instead, whenever I look at it, a warm feeling swells up inside of me whenever I think of Saber who did this to me. Like this, we're eternally bonded."

"Hmph, I see..."

Gilgamesh muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice. The King of Knights had it rough didn't he? Being chased by such a delusional girl... the two of them shared more similar problems than he had thought possible. Though perhaps even Ishtar wasn't as obsessive compared to the girl known as Sajyou Manaka.

Still, now that he was able to confirm it...

"What is she...?"

Reines quietly muttered to herself, she had no idea what to make of the girl that stood before them. She had heard everything about her from Saber, but was she really the older sister of the Sajyou Ayaka? Through magecraft, it was possible to preserve ones own youth such was the case with the late Darnic Prestone.

However, it didn't seem like it was the same case regarding Sajyou Manaka.

If she had anything to describe her with, she just felt... wrong.

She was a pretty girl all things considered, the type that would attract many with her cute looks. But, that same cuteness was accompanied by a level of eeriness that she couldn't quite described either. There was a term for it wasn't it? The Uncanny Valley she believed. Yes, that was it.

The girl looked normal enough, but she knew by instinct that she wasn't. The way she spoke to Archer only served to enhance said feeling as well. She showed absolutely no fear at all. Perhaps it was because she had six Servants at her beck and call, but still...

"So then King of Heroes, why are you asking our Master who she is if you already know about her to begin with?"

Arash asked, speaking up as he continued to aim his bow at the Golden King. At this close a range he wouldn't miss even with his eyes closed and back turned. One couldn't be too careful against one able to match Rider in combat, even if briefly, after all.

"Hmph, why you ask?"

Gilgamesh's smirk widened, not really caring about the fact that former continued aiming his weapon at him at all. It wasn't like he could blame them, they'd need to bring out their full arsenal if they wanted to stand a chance against him.

"The answer is quite simple, I simply wished to know what madness would drive an individual to bring forth one of the Seven Beasts. Those that embody the greatest sins of humanity... are you all mad?!"

...!

The six Servants present readied themselves when they felt a great amount of hostility emanating from the Golden King as a dozen portals opened up around him with numerous weapons starting to come out.

"Seven Beasts...?"

Reines muttered to herself, wondering to herself as to what Archer was talking about.

"Answer me this you lot, why do you all continue to serve this witch of a girl knowing what she intends for this world?"

"That's...!"

Arash began but suddenly found no words to continue, something having just come to mind thanks to the Golden King's words.

He had a point, why were they fighting for her to begin with?

"That's... that's because..."

Brynhild spoke, trying to find the ability to reply as well but was failing much like her comrade.

Why did it suddenly feel so hard to breathe? And her mind had suddenly started to hurt so much as well...!

Seeing this, Manaka simply sighed. She somehow expected this to happen. Aside from Rider himself, her control over Archer and Lancer tended waver whenever they were faced with such questions. It was likely because she never really interacted with Archer before and Lancer once directly tried to kill her. She really needed to fix that, it was getting annoying whenever they started to panic the way they did.

"Come on you two, go to sleep for a while~"

...!

Before either of the two knew it, both instantly faded from existence. Seeing this, Gilgamesh simply narrowed his eyes at the young blonde.

"Hmph, so that's how it is..."

He noted with a growing frown of disgust directed at the young blonde. She would dare desecrate their wills like that?

"Child, what have you done with them...?" Gilgamesh demanded in a low tone.

"Don't worry, they just need to rest for a minute inside of me." Manaka smiled sweetly in response.

"You would think it wise to send them away while in my presence?"

"Is it supposed to be bad? I still have Rider, Caster, Berserker, and Assassin to keep me company don't I~?"

The Golden King's glare grew intense as he stared down the girl. Her words just now had insinuated that she believed that the four aforementioned heroes present were more than enough to keep him at bay. While he would have been normally insulted, he begrudgingly admitted that she wasn't far off.

 _'Caster and Assassin are of no trouble to me, but against the Sun King and the Son of Zeus...'_

While he was thrilled by the idea of a fight with either, now wasn't the time for it. He wasn't so foolish as to challenge them on the spot. From his brief fight with the former, he already knew enough of how powerful he was and that was him holding back, and one needn't fought Berserker to know he was a threat either.

"So then King of Heroes, you wished for an answer didn't you?" Ramesses questioned, stepping forward. "Then shall I oblige that question?"

"Another time Sun King, I've had enough of this meeting. Come Reines."

The Golden King replied. As much as he wanted to demand answers from the girl known as Sajyou Manaka, the urge to do so had withered away already. What the latter did to both Archer and Lancer had put a sour taste in his mouth. And aside from the Sun King whose will still remained strong though his body bound, it was likely she held dominion over the others the same way as well. There wouldn't have been any point in demanding answers from them anymore.

"Oh? Retreating because you're afraid~?" Tamamo teased with a smile on her face.

...!

"Ack!"

The Golden King's glare was more than enough to silence Tamamo thanks to its sheer intensity. Such scary eyes...!

"Insinuate that I'm a coward and I will show you no mercy when next we meet Avatar of the Sun." He simply stated much to her surprise. "Do not try to hide who you are, for the truth is all to obvious to me now. To think that you would lower yourself to such a degree."

Tamamo simply frowned in annoyance at this. It was her ears and tail that gave it way didn't it? She knew she should have hidden them, but it just didn't feel right to do so. The dilemmas of being a cute fox girl she supposed.

...!

Leaping into the air with his young Master in tow, a strange flying machine appeared as the Golden King landed atop it. Soon, both Master and Servant left the area.

"Are you sure it's wise to just let him leave Master? He might give away our location." Serenity asked.

"It's fine, it's not like we're trying to hide are we?" Manaka waved off as she started walking back towards the cave.

"But..."

"It's fine Assassin, should any come our way we'll simply crush them!"

Ramesses declared with a grin on his face. While he despised being a slave to the Potnia Theron's will, he'd at least have some fun in the mean time. At least until an opening presented itself so he could break free from her hold.

Patience was a virtue.

* * *

"Such a peaceful night..."

Perseus muttered to himself, sitting atop the ledge of the fortress quietly observing the sky above him. Tonight was a full moon, and whether it be today or the long distant past, it was always beautiful to look at. He was glad that he was observing it from the fortress, as the bright lights from the city would have ruined the view for him.

He was also quite certain that Atalanta was likely giving prayer to Artemis, perhaps for luck and protection for future battles to come?

"I take it you're enjoying the view then?"

Hearing someone call out to him, the purple-haired hero turned his attention towards the source.

"Saber."

He greeted, looking to see the blonde-haired knight standing behind him with a grin on his face. In the short time they were together, Perseus had mostly managed to figure out the type of man he was dealing with in regards to Saber.

With that in mind, he knew what was coming next.

"Care for a drink?"

Richard asked, raising his hands to reveal a bottle wine and two empty glasses.

"Didn't you just have some with Caster?" Perseus asked with a chuckle as the former sat down beside him. "Either way, Servants like ourselves can't really get drunk. You do realize that don't you?"

"Perhaps, but the taste is still there. As a man and King, tis my duty to sample such fine delicacies until they run out. To do anything less would simply be unacceptable!" He declared, a degree of seriousness could be felt in his words that Perseus couldn't help but be amused by it. "Besides, our Master isn't really partaking with me and Caster is off who knows where. The others have also rejected me and so you're the only one I can come to."

"Did you ask Berserker?"

"I tried once but he attempted to strike me down so I decided to leave him be."

"Heh!"

The former chuckled once more, taking off his mask as he Richard poured them both a glass of wine.

Raising it, both clinked their glasses together and started drinking.

"A question if I may Rider."

"What is it?"

"I'm curious about something, why do you side with our Master?" Richard inquired, setting aside his drink for a moment. "I'm quite curious to hear your reasons for partaking in this conflict."

"Personal reasons."

"Will you not share them?"

"Perhaps some other time. Have you asked the others?"

"Some yes, but one needn't really ask why they fight for the answer is already quite obvious." Richard replied, taking another sip before continuing. "Lancer fights for the sake of loyalty, Archer fights because of her desire to help all the children in the world, Caster wishes observe the events surrounding our Master's growing tale, and our Lady Assassin supports our Master because she is quite obviously taken with him."

"So you've noticed it as well did you?"

"Yes, I'm somewhat amazed by that fact, to think that someone of her reputation would be prone to-"

 _"Speak of such lies and I shall drop you both from that ledge."_

...!

The Assyrian Queen called out, to which both men quickly looked around in surprise only to find nothing.

"Ah, that's right. She is the owner of this fortress after all..."

Perseus stated with an amused smile. It should have been obvious that she would be listening in. Perhaps not all the time, but it was something to be considered.

"Let's just refrain from speaking about her then... I'm in no mood to go on a nightly swim." Richard chuckled to himself somewhat nervously.

Right now they were incredibly high up. He wasn't sure that he could even survive such a fall. Currently they were out at sea, as part of their strategy to avoid being discovered by their enemies, but dropping into water at their height was still quite dangerous.

"Well I suppose you do have to worry about that." Perseus replied, smirking at the former. "As for me, I don't really have to."

"Ah but of course, your Pegasus and those winged sandals of yours." The blonde knight stated with a crooked grin. "Such feelings of envy you stir in me to have such wonderful Noble Phantasms and more in your arsenal."

"Heh, do you wish to take a ride on Pegasus?"

"Can I!?"

Richard asked with childlike glee, his eyes sparkling with the innocence of one as well.

"Who knows? We shall see..."

Perseus simply replied as the former cheered in joy. Well, he suppose that there was no harm in letting the former try.

Even if he was likely to get kicked off.

* * *

"What was that about?"

Shirou asked as he, Julian, and Assassin all sat together around a table inside the former's room. The trio were currently discussing matters when all of a sudden the latter suddenly spoke out to no one in particular. He had guessed that she was speaking to someone else entirely.

"Oh, nothing you need concern yourself with Master~" Semiramis replied with a sweet smile on her face. "At any rate, back to the topic at hand..."

"Yes, we were discussing what our next plan of attack shall be."

"I say we go find that the whereabouts of Sajyou Manaka." Julian suggested. "We already know that she has the grail with her, why waste our time with the Alliance when we the path to our goal is already clear?"

"Because I've already made it clear did I not?" Shirou stated, clearly annoyed by the former's words. "Sajyou Manaka is not one that can easily be trifled with. That girl is easily the greatest threat in this entire war, I'd rather not chase after her until we are certain of our position."

"So you say Kotomine, but that girl has yet to attack us did she not?"

"Do not question me Julian." The young priest demanded before realizing that he was raising his voice. "Look, I understand where you're coming from but heed my words for now and focus on our current enemies. Sajyou Manaka can wait, she will wait so long as the King of Knights is still alive."

"Fine."

Julian muttered in dissatisfaction. He still wasn't entirely convinced of what Kotomine was saying, but he supposed that conceding for now was the best choice.

"At any rate, regarding her and the King of Knights, just why exactly is she so obsessed with him to begin with?"

"You saw her didn't you?" Shirou replied with a simple shrug. "Sajyou Manaka is a girl in love. As to how and why she fell in love, that's an answer you'll need to ask her yourself. All I can say is that one who is in love will often do _anything_ for the sake of their beloved. There's a reason why it's considered by some to be dangerous emotion as well. Akin to a double-edged sword in a way."

"So in other words we cannot truly harm the King of Knights less we anger her can we?"

"I do not think so." The young priest replied once more. "So long as we do not kill him, I believe that Sajyou Manaka will not attack us. I met with her the other day and she could have killed me if she wanted to. Yet, she didn't. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because she's arrogant, that girl is already sure of her own victory." The former stated. "It's because of that same belief that she was killed in the first place all those years ago by Saber himself, having never foresaw his betrayal most likely. And even now she's still showing signs of that same arrogance. That will be one of the keys to her downfall."

"Be careful Master, you're starting to sound rather arrogant yourself."

Semiramis smiled in amusement, warning her Master of his own belief.

"I know, that's why I have helpful comrades by my side do I not?" Shirou replied with a smile of his own. "At any rate, for now we simply watch and observe. The others still need some time to recuperate for their ready for combat once more. Are we clear?"

The other two nodded, that was really the only thing they could do.

...!

Hearing the sudden cry of a horse coming outside, the trio looked towards the window just in time to bear witness an incredibly unusual sight.

"FLY MY STEED! FLY~!"

There was Saber, the blonde-haired knight riding atop Pegasus, one of Rider's Noble Phantasms, erratically flying throughout the sky.

"What in blazes is that fool doing?"

Julian demanded with an incredulous look on his face.

"I believe he's trying to tame that beast..." Shirou commented with a grin of amusement on his face.

...!

"Ah, he fell..."

Semiramis added, smirking at the Crusader King's misfortune as they saw Rider flying after his falling comrade.

* * *

"Tell me something father..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Arthur asked, seated on the ground beneath a tree with Mordred seating on the opposite side of it behind him. Ever since their duel ended earlier, both had opted to sat idly by without really speaking to one another. A good moment of silence had passed between the two before the latter had suddenly spoke up.

"Is it true? That you truly do not hate Lancelot?"

"Is this about last night? I somehow knew you were listening in. To be honest it always felt like you were around every corner everywhere I went."

Arthur chuckled, to which Mordred merely grumbled quietly to herself in embarrassment. Now the she thought about it, she really did have a habit of doing that lately didn't she? It didn't help that as a Servant her father always likely knew that she was doing so but chose not to say anything.

"Does it matter? Just answer the question already..." She muttered in annoyance, crossing her arms with a huff. "If you don't want to say anything, then that's fine too."

"No, I suppose there's no harm in answering." Arthur replied, a crooked smile on his face. "If I were to speak honestly, then I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't angry at Lancelot for such a thing. After all, I trusted him with all I had and considered him my closest friend. For him to have done such a thing, it had hurt me far more than any blade would."

"Then, if that's the case, why didn't you try to punish him...?"

Mordred had remembered that day. Lancelot had been captured by their forces not long after he had slain Agravain, Gareth and Gaheris. He had been slated for execution together with the queen for the treason against her father.

But, both had somehow escaped from prison...

Back then, she never really gave it any real thought but recent events had put things into perspective for her. She had no illusions of what likely happened that day. The prison that both Lancelot and Guinevere were kept in was highly secured. The only way they could have escaped was with the help of someone with high authority, and the only one who had that was her father and him alone.

"Who knows? Whenever I look back on that day, I always found myself unable to hate Lancelot at all. I was angry at him yes, but it could never turn to hate." Arthur replied, looking up at the moon in the sky, night having fallen since their duel ended. "Heh, I suppose I'm just a softhearted fool..."

"..."

Mordred remained in silence, unable to find a way to reply to her father's words. His reply just then was something she had expected. Her father was truly a kind person, it honestly sickened her to a degree how he could be like that despite everything that had happened in their past.

"Well, I suppose

Then again, she supposed that it was exactly because he was such a softhearted fool that he was someone to be admired. It wasn't just a sign of weakness to forgive those who wronged you. Rather, it could also be a sign of strength. She saw that now, and knew that unlike her father she'd likely be less forgiving if someone did the same to her.

 _'Heh, like I'm one to talk...'_

She chuckled to herself. The irony of what she was thinking wasn't lost to her. After all, she was known as the Knight of Treachery. Perhaps one of the most famous traitors in all of legend. Who was she to debate on the matter to begin with?

"Now that I've answered your question Mordred, would you answer mine?"

"What is it? Depending on what you ask, I may not answer at all you know..."

"It's nothing really, it's merely something that's been on my mind of a while now..."

"Then what is it? Say it already...!"

Mordred demanded somewhat impatiently. If it was a simple matter then he should have just asked already. She always believed that there was no point in trying to beat around the bush if that was the case.

"Then I'll get straight to it as you say." Arthur replied. "Do you remember the day you first approached me?"

"What? Of course I do. It wasn't long after my mother had sent me as a recommendation for-"

"I wasn't talking about that."

Arthur stated, who unbeknownst to the other blonde had a growing smile on his face.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten? That day when a young girl calling herself a boy had come across a young king disguised as part of the common man?"

...!

Wait, what did her father just say...!?

"Despite his disguise, the girl immediately recognized him and asked why he did so. The king said that it was for fun." Arthur replied, closing his eyes as his smile widened. "And to be honest, it was. When people don't know who you truly are, they're likely to act in ways that they wouldn't when someone like the King was present. You get a chance to see them act without restraint, which was sometimes a rare treasure to be found."

Unknown to Arthur, whatever he had said just then went over Mordred's head. Her mind more focused on what came before.

"You... you knew it was me?"

"No, at least not at first. I only came to realize it sometime after I saw your face." The young man replied once more. "I must admit, as fleeting a moment as it was, you were an incredibly precious child back then."

"Wha-!?"

Mordred was glad that she and her father sat on opposite sides of the tree they were seating underneath at as she was sure her face was flushed in embarrassment just then.

Damn it, why did her father had to say something like that!? A smile had grown on her face and it wouldn't go down!

Once more, sometime in silence had passed between father and daughter as both sat quietly beneath the tree. Mordred having been too embarrassed to say anything whereas Arthur quietly stared at the night sky once more.

"My apologies Mordred, I've failed you immensely as well..."

"Huh?"

Mordred raised her head, having not expected her father to say such things so suddenly.

"On that day, had I only realized the truth back then, perhaps I could have done something for you instead of allowing you to become pawn of your mother." Arthur muttered with a tired sigh. "Had I did, had I not shunned you... perhaps the tragedy of that bloody hill would have never occurred."

"Father..."

The former quietly muttered to herself, loud enough for Arthur to hear. It was so strange, to hear the usually loud Mordred sound so reserved.

"Don't be stupid."

...!

"Ack!"

Mordred suddenly stated much to Arthur's surprise, taken off guard as he felt himself being smacked slightly on the head by his daughter.

"Mother likely placed a spell on me that would have made me turn on you either way."

She stated, her arms crossed as she stared down her father. Mordred wasn't really that stupid to not think of the possibility of her mother doing such a thing. Hell, she actually did place such a spell on her that it was the sole reason why her father was mortally wounded during that fateful battle on the hill.

"If you really want someone to blame, then blame her I suppose. Stop doing it to yourself, you're even making me sick of your pity act."

The young momentarily blinked in stunned silence at Mordred's words, the latter herself having not expected that her words would cause such a thing. She found it rather uncomfortable that her father was just staring at her without even muttering a word.

"Heh... hehahaha!"

Soon enough however, Arthur had surprising started laughing.

"W-What so funny!?" She demanded in embarrassment. Why was her suddenly father reacting like this?

"No, it's nothing." The young man replied, calming himself down as he stood up and smiled at the other blonde. "Your words simply have truth to them. Guinevere once told me the same thing not long ago, it truly is a habit that's getting quite old."

"Well, I suppose I can't really blame you for it either..."

Mordred admitted, scratching her cheek somewhat. It was only natural for one to feel that way wasn't it? She supposed she shouldn't judge so much when she was partly responsible for everything that happened to begin with.

She also wondered what her father meant by Guinevere. Just what was he talking about?

"A-Anyway, I'm leaving! Don't try to follow me or anything because I'll know!"

"Even though you're going inside the house?"

"You know what I mean!"

Mordred rebuked in annoyance as she stormed off, no longer having the state of mind to deal with her father anymore less she started to embarrass herself thanks to how she was feeling right then. It was truly strange, talking to her father the way she did just now without any resentment or anger towards him. She had gotten so used to associating him with her rage that it felt alien to speak with him like civilized people again.

If she had to be honest, it didn't feel bad...

As she left, Arthur simply smiled to himself as he reached into his pocket and took something out...

 _'Well then, what do you think...?'_

Said something was the same necklace he had once given Guinevere...

 _'Am I making progress? What would you make this Guinevere?'_

Arthur knew that there wouldn't be any reply. But, he could already imagine her response. The idea of which simply brought another smile to his face.

Well, he supposed that was enough of that. It was time to deal with another matter.

"So then, do you plan on just standing there for the entire evening?"

The young man stated, putting the necklace back into his pocket while turning his attention front towards the corner of the house.

Soon enough, Gray appeared with an apologetic look on her face.

"It's quite rude to eavesdrop don't you think?"

He asked with a smile as he went over towards the white-haired girl. Well, it's not like he had any right to say that himself.

"My apologies, but I was curious to know how things were going between the two of you given your histories together..."

Gray replied, somewhat embarrassed at having been caught. Despite what her ancestor and Ruler had insisted upon, she couldn't help herself in wanting to learn more of how the situation between him and Saber of Red was developing.

"Is it truly that strange?" Arthur asked, knowing what the girl was going on about.

"A little I suppose." She replied, fidgeting nervously as she continued. "Um, King Arthur-"

"Just call me Saber." The former replied, cutting the girl off before she continued further. "You've already called me that before didn't you?"

He knew how awkward it must have been for the girl to meet with him as she did. It wasn't every day that one could get to meet with their own ancestor from over two millenia ago. Calling him anything else but Saber wouldn't have really been appropriate as calling him great ancestor would have been a mouthful each time. Her calling him grandfather despite it being technically true was out of the question as well since the concept annoyed him somewhat for some reason. And calling him King Arthur was too formal as well.

Right now, he was only Saber. It was an appropriate title fitting for his role as his Master's sword during the war.

"I see." Gray nodded, feeling that it was appropriate. "At any rate, there's a matter I wish to speak with you about."

"What is it?"

"Not here, follow me."

* * *

"Yo."

As soon as Mordred entered the house, she found herself being greeted by her Master, the latter of whom had a smile on his face as he leaned against a wall while staring at her as she entered the house. When she saw this, Mordred simply frowned as she spoke.

"Have you been listening in on us?"

"If I said yes, would you hit me?"

"Even if you didn't, I'd still hit you if you don't wipe that grin off your face...!"

Mordred stated in annoyance. She knew full well why he was smiling like that, her Master probably knew what was going to happen between her father and herself. If so, she really did have half a mind to hit her Master very hard right then and there. She really hated being played for a fool, for there was no greater insult.

Still, if not for her Master's suggestion earlier...

"I won't thank you..."

The blonde simply muttered, her voice barely audible as she walked past her Master in a huff.

Kairi simply smiled at this. He didn't really think that a simple spar would have been enough to dispel the stress that Mordred had been feeling since the other day. What the girl needed was an old-fashioned talking to with her old man, no fight was going to be able to substitute for that. Though given her temperament, she would have outright refused the idea in an instant due to a combination of pride and stubbornness. An icebreaker was needed, and the spar between father and daughter was exactly it.

Still, he was worried it would turn into something bloody which it nearly did. Thankfully, it managed to work out in the end.

 _'Heh, I'm getting soft aren't I?'_

He probably wouldn't have interfered with the situation had it not affected Mordred as much it did. If not for that, he likely would have allowed the blonde to deal with it in her own way which in all likelihood would have involved someone's head being cut off.

"Alright then, might as well head outside for now..."

Kairi stated with a sigh. After everything was set and done, he needed someway to relax. A relaxing walk around the block with a cigarette in hand was just what he needed.

As soon as he headed outside however, the mercenary saw the duo of Arthur and Gray heading towards the greenhouse.

 _'Strange, what are they doing together?'_

Kairi wondered to himself. The two of them weren't usually together were they? Gray especially was someone of interest between the two due to her uncanny resemblance to Mordred. The two could have very well been mistaken for identical twins had the former's hair been blonde as well.

Regardless, even despite his curiosity, he decided not to pry into the matter.

 _'I've had enough to deal with for today, I didn't see anything.'_

He thought to himself, leaving the estate as he went on his walk.

* * *

"Slim-ankled Artemis, free-footed, wild-haired girl, with steps swift and silent you run through the wood, your bow at the ready, your shafts sharp and deadly."

Atalanta spoke quietly, kneeling on one foot in front of a makeshift altar that had a deer corpse placed atop. Incense had been placed around it and was burning as well.

"Far-shooting Artemis, keen of eye and strong of arm, your aim ever true, you take your prey, goddess, with a single strike."

Given that tonight was a full moon, she had felt a need to pay tribute to the Artemis. She had asked Assassin to prepare the room for her such an event, and she was glad that the latter did not object to it. Though she had also been mocked by her as result.

Despite this, she didn't pay the Assyrian Queen any heed as doing so would only fuel her own amusement. Even if she was no longer human but a Servant, her life was spent as a devotee to the Goddess of the Moon and Hunt. It was part of her nature to do so. Whether it was then or now didn't matter.

And with their recent victory over their enemies, there was time to relax as per their Master's orders. Still...

"Artemis, I pray to you as I begin my hunt–may my eyes be clear, may my hand be steady, may the shots I fire reach my target and no other, may any kill be quick."

It didn't hurt to pray for the blessing of a goddess, even if the Age of Gods had already ended in this time period. They would need anything they could get for the sake of winning their future battles.

"Grant that I take on this work with honest intent, grant that I feel the weight of what I do. Mistress of the hunt, I pray to you."

Atalanta finished. Given her current situation, parts of the prayer didn't fit with what she was doing now and so she decided to leave it out. She only hoped that she wasn't being insulting to the goddess when she was doing that.

"Do you fear for the future?"

The Chaste Huntress turned her head towards the source of the voice.

"Lancer."

Karna stood behind her. As always, the golden armored demigod still had that same blank look on his face that made it rather impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"No, it's not that." She replied, standing up to face the former. "I simply wished to pay tribute to the goddess, this is the first time I've done so since becoming a Servant. Is it strange for me to do so?"

"It's not my place to judge an individual's belief such as yourself." Karna simply replied. "If you wish to pay tribute to your goddess, then let no one stop you."

"I see... Tell me something Lancer, what do you truly wish for?"

Atalanta asked, it was a question that had been on her mind for quite some time now. Once, Lancer had been asked about it and he had replied that he had none and was merely performing his duty as a Servant. To her, that felt like an impossibility. Part of the reason why Servants answered a summon was because they sought the Holy Grail. And though she and most of her fellow Rogue Servants were irregulars, it still held true for them to a degree as well.

"Nothing."

His quick reply was something she had expected, but she wasn't about to back down.

"That can't be right, everybody has a wish they seek do they not?" She continued, crossing her arms at the demigod as she continued. "I know of your history Lancer, do you not wish for a chance to experience life anew?"

"And what of you Chaste Huntress of Arcadia? At the end of your life, were you not turned into a lion as part of a curse by the gods?"

"That's..."

Atalanta frowned, it was an event that she did not want to think about. She cursed her father for being the one who started everything to begin with, and as well as Aphrodite for interfering in matters that didn't concern her. Had it not been for her, she would have won against Hippomenes and perhaps that incident would have never occurred.

"Do you not wish to overturn your fate as well?" Karna asked.

"No... my fate is of no importance." The Chaste Huntress replied. "So long as the children of the world will all have a future, I'm fine with my end."

"Then you have my answer." The former stated in response. "My only desire as I am right now is to serve my Master faithfully as one I've sworn an oath to. In that respect, I suppose we're not so different in that we both wish for the sake of others."

"Heh, I suppose we aren't."

Atalanta smiled mirthfully. Somehow she knew what his answer was going to be, perhaps she was just trying to confirm it for herself then?

Still, talking with him like this felt somewhat humbling to her.

* * *

"The garden?"

Arthur stated, looking around the area. As always, it was a rather soothing place to be in especially at night with the glowing moonlight shining down through the glass ceiling. He wondered to himself as to where Caster and her Master were, as both were usually within the confines of the area.

"If you're wondering about Caster, she took her Master to bed and is watching over him. She says that he overworked himself and fell unconscious a short while ago."

"I see, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised..."

The young man stated, taking note of the numerous new golems that filled the area. They were far smaller in number compared to the forces that the Masters of Black had mustered during the battle against the Red Faction at their castle, and again during the battle against the assault by the Rogue Faction.

Still, despite their reduced numbers, they were still enough to form a small company if he counted right. Thanks to Caster's magecraft and their newer slimmer designs, they were able to fit within the garden for the most part. He didn't know if they would be enough to serve as proper defenses, having seen their predecessors easily taken down during the previous battles, but he supposed he should have faith in the blue-haired woman's capabilities.

"So then, why did you bring me here?"

"To discuss something important, something that may be of use to you in this war." The girl stated as she pulled out a bird cage from beneath her cloak. "I wanted to talk to you about it since that day, but there was never an appropriate time until now."

"Interesting, something that could be of use to me..."

Arthur asked as the girl nodded, his curiosity had now been piqued. Though he barely knew anything of Gray, he felt that he could believe her words. After all, he had doubted her once and he ended up being proven wrong. If she said that there was something that could be of use to him in this war, then there was no reason to doubt her.

Still...

"It's not something you wish to share with the others is it?"

"No, but if you desire it, I'll tell everyone else. I merely wanted to discuss it with you first." Gray stated, looking down as she continued. "It's family matters I suppose..."

"Family matters..."

Arthur repeated, the concept still so alien to him, as he shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be distracted by such things.

Before he could speak however, a voice called out to him.

"So then, what am I supposed to be looking at here?"

He asked, inspecting the bird cage which strangely enough lacked any birds at all. Instead, inside of it was a small box with strange markings on it. He had already seen it before but this was the first time he had seen it up close.

 _"Pleasure to meet you King Arthur, it's rather strange to be meeting with the legend himself in the flesh."_

Arthur blinked at this. Well now, that was truly unexpected to say the least...

"This is Add, he serves as my Mystic Code." Gray explained as soon enough Add had disappeared from the cage and in her hands a scythe appeared. "He serves as my main weapon in combat, and he can even enhance my physical capabilities as well."

"I see." Arthur nodded in understanding. "But what does this have to do with what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I was getting to that."

Gray simply stated as she held her hands out. Add momentarily glowed as a light appeared from it and shot itself towards the girl.

"Add has another function as well..."

The light gathered atop the girl's hands, slowly forming a shape as it took form while stretching horizontally.

Once the light died down, his eyes widened in shock and realization at what he saw before him.

"Rhongomyniad!?"

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to rest more Aya? I can handle the preparations by myself."

"Don't worry about me grandmother, I need something to get my mind of things. Helping you out here does just that for me."

Aya replied as she helped set the table for dinner while her grandmother continued cooking. Given recent events, she really needed something to take her mind off what had happened regarding Lancer. Doing chores helped in that regard. With the temporary guests they had, her grandmother would have needed the extra hands. Granted the homunculi that Fiore and her family brought along were already helping as well, but she wanted to do so herself nonetheless.

...!

"Ah...!"

Before she realized it, as she was setting down the glasses, one slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor shattering into pieces as it did.

"Are you alright?"

Ayaka cried out in worry, turning off the stove as she went towards her granddaughter. Luckily there were no wounds on the young blonde.

"I-I'm fine... I just slipped up is all."

Sighing at this, Ayaka merely shook her head as she spoke.

"Why don't you take a moment to rest yourself some more? I can handle things from here."

"But-" The blonde started but quickly saw no point in arguing. "Alright then..."

Satisfied, her grandmother stood up and went on to clean up the mess despite her own insistence on doing it. One look from the former however quickly said otherwise as the blonde shrunk back in obedience.

"I need some milk..."

Aya muttered to herself, going towards the fridge, opening it, and took out the milk carton within. Right now, she needed something to calm the nerves. And for her, milk was just that. It was a source of nutrition after all.

Deciding that she had broken enough glasses for one night, the young blonde began drinking straight from the carton itself.

"Tired?"

"...!?"

She nearly choked, coughing somewhat as she turned to towards the source of the voice that spoke out to her.

"C-Caules-kun...?"

Aya stated in realization as she saw the young man standing a short distance away from her with a hand on his hip.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Caules spoke with an apologetic wave of his hands. "I heard some glass shattering and wondered what happened."

"I-I'm fine... just a little shaken up I supposed." Aya replied, wiping her mouth as she continued. "How about you? I heard from grandmother that you all encountered troubles of your own. She said something about running into great-aunt Manaka's Servants?"

"We did, and we were lucky enough to escape."

The young man replied as the two headed towards and sat together in the living room. The former recounting the events of the other day as best he could to the blonde.

"I even got myself poisoned by Assassin together with Berserker. Now that was a real close call."

"Poison!?"

"Don't worry, Archer gave us something to deal with it so we're good right now." He quickly added as the girl sighed in relief. Soon, Caules began fidgeting. "Um... I heard about what happened to your Lancer. It's too bad..."

"It's fine, it's not like denying it will help me either way..." Aya merely sighed with a crooked smile on her face. "Anyway, how's your sister? I haven't seen her since I woke up."

"She's been busy making adjustments to Bronze-Link Manipulators ever since we got back earlier." Caules replied. "Since the war is only going to get more intense, she figured that being prepared wouldn't hurt. As for me..."

The bespectacled youth stated, pulling out the gun that Kairi had given him the other day.

"Still haven't gotten around to using this thing, not really much to shoot at I guess..."

He said, staring at the weapon in his hands. The mercenary had told him was specially modified to be able to deal with magically enhanced creatures, but against Servants the weapon was next to useless at best. Caules wondered to himself why he had been given such a thing, but perhaps it was to ensure that he had some form of weapon to fall back upon in the worse case scenario.

Not that he was really complaining, having understood the necessity of it, but it did feel somewhat strange to be holding a gun. There was a certain weight to it that he couldn't describe and it wasn't because it was heavy or anything. Perhaps it was because it was an item meant to do harm to others?

"Say, you said before that the only reason you decided to take part in this war was because you wanted to protect your sister right?"

Aya suddenly spoke out, breaking the young man out of his thoughts as he nodded in reply.

"You know, I've been wondering to myself why I decided to join in on the Holy Grail War in the first place. I mean, why would a mage with less than stellar talent decide to join in on something so dangerous?"

" Wasn't it because you wanted to stop that Kotomine guy?" The former asked.

"I like to believe that's it, but when I really think about it now, I think maybe it's because I was being a little selfish on my part."

"Selfish?" Caules repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, selfish..."

Aya replied, placing her hands together on the table, staring at the one that still had the Command Spells that signified the pact she had with Lancer.

Or use to have anyway...

"I told you before didn't I? My cousins were always so much more talented than me in the things we did together and especially in magecraft. Because of that, I was always kinda jealous of them. Maybe I wanted to prove myself in this war, that I can do something right without being shown up by them. Compared to you and everyone else, my goal seems so small in comparison. And I feel like because of that, it's probably what got Lancer killed. Maybe if he had a better Master..."

"..."

Caules remained silent, not knowing how to reply to the girl's words. What could he say to her to begin with? He didn't exactly have the experienced necessary to comfort people, especially girls his age. Hell, he never really interacted enough with them in the first place due to his role in the clan.

Still, he might as well give it his best shot.

"Well, even if that's the case, it's not really bad is it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" The girl blinked in surprise.

"I mean yeah, you might have started out wanting to prove yourself, but in the end that also led to you telling us everything about what that Kotomine guy was up to didn't it? So I guess it evens out in a way?"

Caules suggested, pausing for a moment as he was not really sure if his point was getting across before continuing.

"Look, I know it's too bad what happened with Lancer, but thanks to you we know what that Kotomine guy's planning and were able to unite the Yggdmillenia and Association team together. Given my family's history with the association in the first place, that's a miracle in itself I'd say."

"Really? Because I think even without me Lord El-Melloi, your sister, and Ruler-san probably would have been able to do it either way."

"Ugh, I suppose you have a point... but with your help, you probably got them to do it sooner rather than later. So I guess that's a win?"

Caules replied once more, hoping that he wasn't screwing up right now.

"Maybe... I guess you might have a point."

Aya stated. Lancer's death had left her wondering if it was even alright for to have taken part in the conflict. She still wasn't fully convinced but she supposed that Caules had a point in a way. She only hoped that was the case.

Turning to the brunette, the young blonde gave a small smile as she spoke.

"Thanks Caules-kun, I think I needed that."

"A-Anytime..."

Caules muttered, blushing somewhat in embarrassment. Being smiled on by a cute girl like Aya could be considered an achievement among teenage boys like himself.

"Hohoho~! Be sure to take note of this Sieg, this is youth!"

"Right it is, it kinda reminds me of myself when I was his age."

"Youth..."

Hearing two whispers coming from behind them, Caules looked over behind the sofa and frowned.

"How long are you three going to sit there!?"

Caules demanded in annoyance at the pink-haired paladin Astolfo, his Master Sieg, and the one and only Greek Hero Achilles. The former of the trio having a wide grin on his overly feminine face as he began speaking.

"Oh don't mind us, please continue~" Astolfo waved in reply. "We're just helping Sieg gain some more perspective on social interactions is all. Isn't that right Lancer~?"

"Yup, thought I'd lend a hand and help give the kid some examples of what it means to be a man." Achilles replied with a similar grin on his face as he pulled Caules into a headlock. "Trying to get cozy with the little miss eh? Not bad for someone so skinny!"

"How did you come to that conclusion!?" The bespectacled young man demanded once more as he tried freeing himself to no avail. "All we were doing was just talking!"

"That's what they all say~!" Astolfo added, nudging the youth by his sides. "If you want, I'll happily give you some tips."

"Who asked you!?"

At this, Aya merely shook her head in amusement, giggling slightly at the situation.

She felt a little sorry for Caules, he wasn't getting out of the former's grasp anytime soon.

* * *

"Hehe..."

Unbeknownst to the group, someone had been watching the entire scene unfold with a smile on her face.

Said someone was Jeanne, who stood by herself in the hallway while turning her head away from the situation within the room. It was always nice to see allies getting along with each other, especially for Achilles who was someone who had been the enemy of the Black Faction before their alliance came to be.

"You aren't going to join them?"

Waver asked, appearing behind the young saint much to her surprise.

"No, there's no need for that." The latter merely shook her head and smiled. "Speaking of which, how are you doing Lord El-Melloi? After what happened with Rider..."

"It's alright," Waver replied with a wave of his hand. "I was already prepared for it to happen again to begin with."

"That's right, you once participated in a subcategory Holy Grail War didn't you?"

"Yes, ten years ago when I was still an inexperienced brat." Waver smirked to himself with a chuckle. The him from back then truly was an embarrassment compared to the him of today. "At any rate, I'm not here to discuss myself. I've come to inform you about the ongoing situation regarding what happened in the forest where Shishigou and others battled against Sajyou Manaka's Servants."

"I've heard, the populace believe that terrorists were behind the amount of destruction correct?"

"That's right. Thanks to cooperation from the Church and other local authorities, we've managed to keep news about what really happened from spreading." The former stated with a sigh, crossing his arms as he continued. "Still, there were civilians who got caught up in what happened..."

"Civilians?"

"Yes, though they were only a few on a camping trip that mainly got caught up in the destruction unleashed by that Sphinx that Saber of Black told us about. Some of them were killed and the lucky ones ended up in a comas."

Jeanne merely frowned at this, her hands curling into fists. She always knew that something like this was inevitable. The longer the war went on, the more dangerous it was going to be for those involved and even those not involved.

"Lord El-Melloi, do you have any ideas for our next course of action?" The young saint asked firmly. "As Ruler, as Jeanne d'Arc, I cannot idle by when innocents are starting to get caught up in the war. We need to put an end to everything soon, otherwise things will only get worse if we don't."

Waver nodded in agreement, though he was somewhat miffed by Ruler continuously referring to him by his title without adding _II_ to it. But he wasn't about to argue semantics with a Servant so he allowed it to slide.

Back to the topic at hand...

"I think we may have something to help with that." He stated. "Archer and Reines are coming back soon, she sent a familiar ahead that says she has news that we'll wanna hear about regarding Sajyou Manaka."

"Truly? I was wondering where Archer and his Master had gotten off to. In that case, I suppose we should prepare for them then." Jeanne nodded in understanding as she turned to leave before stopping. "Speaking of which, have you seen Arthur around?"

If all else failed, the young blonde could have easily used her abilities to find her friend in a heartbeat. But she felt that relying on them too much was unwise and lazy of her. She believed that some things were just best suited to be done the old fashion way.

"The King of Knights? I believe Gray wanted to speak to him about something."

"Gray?"

Jeanne muttered in confusion, wondering to herself as to what the girl could have wanted with Arthur.

"If you're curious, then you'll probably find them in the greenhouse. Gray told me that she wanted some solitude with Saber."

"I see, thank you for that Lord El-Melloi..."

Without bothering to give the former a second glance, the young saint went on her way towards the greenhouse.

Gray... now that she thought about it, there was also that one time the other day back near the vicinity of the Yggdmillenia castle where she caught the two together as well. She didn't really pay it any mind back then, but now her curiosity had been piqued.

What were they doing together back then? Could it have something to do with with what they were doing now? What was the relationship between the two of them?

Could it be... that they were having some sort of secret rendezvous?

 _'No, no, as if such a thing could be true...!'_

Jeanne frowned to herself, stopping for a moment as she shook her head at the idea. It was nonsensical at best. She knew Arthur well enough to know that he wasn't a frivolous man. He had a habit of teasing her, but he was a gentlemen all around. Why would she even come to that conclusion?

Why would she...?

Why would...

 _'No, that's wrong.'_

She sighed to herself, that wasn't a question that needed asking for the answer was too obvious already.

Taking a deep breath, the young saint placed both her hands together above her heart.

 _'For me to even think of such things in the first place... it can only be because I really do have feelings for him.'_

The young saint blushed to herself, not knowing to how react to her own self-admission even if they were just in her thoughts.

Perhaps it was too early to say if it was love, but she couldn't deny any longer that she was attracted to Arthur the same way a woman would to a man. She had casted aside such feelings long ago when she had taken up her sword and banner, she didn't think that they would resurface like this.

Jeanne couldn't tell when it started, but warm feelings unlike any other she had experienced in her life would surface whenever she thought of him lately. Laeticia was just an excuse that she kept telling herself, so that she wouldn't be distracted in her duties as Ruler. An excuse that failed miserably, as more and more her feelings kept growing.

What was it? Was it truly love she felt for him or were her feelings just nothing more than a physical attraction? If it was the latter, she felt incredibly ashamed of herself. These were not thoughts someone of her position should have. She couldn't call herself a servant of God if that was the case.

But, if it was the former...

Her blush deepened, the mere idea of it flustering her greatly.

"How? Just how did this come to be...?"

She asked herself, placing both hands on her cheeks and felt an ever growing warmth emanating from them.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

"Hyah!?"

Jeanne nearly leaped into the air when she heard someone speaking behind her. Turning around, she saw the last person she had expected to see.

"M-Mordred...!?"

"Why are you acting so surprised like that?" The other blonde asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I-It's nothing! I assure you it's nothing at all!"

The young saint quickly waved off, panicking slightly as she calmed herself down. The last thing she needed to deal with was her feelings being discovered by others especially by Mordred of all people. She didn't really know how the latter would react, but she had no intention of finding out either.

"Right..."

Mordred stated, somewhat unimpressed by the former's reply. Ruler was _definitely_ hiding something from her. She supposed that her timing just now was perfect then, as the knight had been meaning to speak to the former. She had been meaning to do so for some time now, just her and Ruler without her father's presence.

"A-Anyway, I need to get going. I'll see you at a later time then!"

Jeanne quickly stated, heading in the opposite direction as she left the other blonde by herself.

"Huh? Wait a minute!"

Mordred called out, chasing after the young saint.

* * *

"Rhongomyniad!?"

Arthur cried out in surprise, having never expected to see the Holy Lance here of all places in the hands of the young girl in front of him.

"But how? Where did you even...?"

He asked as the girl lifted the weapon towards him.

Taking the lance into his hands, Arthur closely inspected it. To him, it had only been a short while ago since last held it. To the world however, fifteen hundred years had already passed since Arthur's time and it still looked quite brilliant as ever.

"The lance has been passed down through my family for ages now. I don't exactly know when it came into our hands, but it was recently passed down to me shortly before the Holy Grail War began." Gray replied. "I though it was strange, as it's normally passed down once the next heir is an adult. But seeing as how you're standing in front of me right now, I can't help but wonder if our meeting was foreseen."

"I see..."

Arthur nodded in understanding, turning his attention back towards the lance. He could still feel power resonating from it, he was amazed that it hadn't really wavered after so much time had passed in an era where magecraft and the like were in decline.

Then again, considering what the lance was to begin with, perhaps it was to be expected.

"Saber, if you had this, you'll become stronger wouldn't you?"

Gray suddenly spoke up, surprising Arthur as he turned his attention back towards his descendant.

"If that's the case, then please take it. It's better in your hands than in mine." She explained. "A Servant gaining an additional Noble Phantasm after their summoning is rare, and since you're a Saber-Class Servant, they may not even see it coming at all."

"You have a point, having Rhon would be quite beneficial to our cause..."

"So then..."

"But that's not what this lance's purpose is supposed to be."

"Huh?"

"If you're family has kept this lance for generations now, then I assume you've been told about the truth regarding this weapon?" Arthur asked, to which Gray nodded. "In that case, I ask that you keep this with you for now."

"But why? You should know of the power that it's capable of don't you?"

"It's exactly because I know what it's capable of that I refuse to use it." Arthur simply replied, placing a hand over the girl's shoulder. "This lance is not truly meant to be used as a weapon, but rather as an anchor that helps fasten together the reality of our world. To use it as a weapon sullies that purpose, and twice now I've done just that. I'd rather not do it once more if I have to."

Removing his hand from her head, the young man gazed at his empty palm.

"Besides, to me it wasn't long ago that I used it to slay Mordred."

He stated, a crooked smile on his face as old memories flashed in his mind. Particularly of Mordred's face when he had pierced her abdomen that faithful day, killing her where she stood. He could feel his hand shaking slightly as remembered that day.

The young man then shook his head, not wanting to think anymore about it.

"Seeing Rhon pleases me, knowing that it's still in good condition and in good hands, but at the same time it has brought up some rather unpleasant memories as well. You can understand that can't you?"

"Yes, my apologies." Gray stated, shame evident on her face as she bowed her head. She should have realized that sooner. "I didn't mean to upset you, it's just that..."

"I know, you were simply trying to help weren't you?"

Arthur said, placing a hand over the girl's head smiling at her. He appreciated the sentiment, but for him it was still too soon to consider using Rhongomyniad as a weapon once more. There was also the fact that Merlin had told me him be conservative when using it, as problems could arise if he started abusing Rhon. He didn't really know what that meant, but he heeded the former's words and only ever used it twice in battle.

"Keep it with you for now, I believe I simply need more time to consider it."

"Understood."

Gray nodded in understanding, the lance in her hands going back inside of Add. If that's what her ancestor wanted, then she would oblige his desires.

Still, it was really strange being able to talk with him like this. The way he assured her just then felt oddly comforting. Perhaps it was because it was true, but talking to him really did felt like she was talking to a family member.

...!

A loud growl echoed throughout the area, to which Gray simply blushed in embarrassment as Arthur simply chuckled in amusement.

"Haha! Well you are my descendant after all." He joked, smiling at the white-haired girl. "Well to be honest I'm feeling rather famished myself. How about we join the others for dinner? I believe Ayaka should be finished already with the preparations."

Gray simply nodded, and soon the duo left the area. Soon enough, the greenhouse was abandoned once more.

All except for two people...

"Did you hear that...!?"

"I-I did...! Is that true Mordred?"

"How should I know!?"

Jeanne and Mordred appeared from behind a corner, having listened in on the conversation between Arthur and Gray. The two had arrived just then when they both heard Arthur speak a surprising truth. Both had come here for answers, Mordred more than Jeanne herself as she was simply hoping to talk with Arthur about something, but both had never expected something like this!

"The two of them are family...?"

The young saint muttered to herself, trying to make sense of the idea.

Well, she supposed that it did make sense to a degree, as it would have explained how Gray could have looked so much like Mordred to the point of looking they could have been twin sisters their hair color notwithstanding. Was it fate that was at play or was it simply an incredibly coincidence that one of the Masters happened to be Arthur's descendant?

But wait, if she was his descendant, did that mean that Mordred actually had-

"What the hell are you thinking?"

"Huh!? N-Nothing!"

Mordred narrowed her eyes at the young saint, the latter of whom had a flustered look on her face. Something about the way she started to lose herself in thought shook something in her. Well, she wasn't important to her right now, as something else had just come up.

Gray was a descendant of her father? But how that could that be!?

She'll get to the bottom of this soon!

* * *

"Finally we're back..."

Reines sighed to herself in relief, standing in front of the gates to the Sajyou Estate.

Instead of coming back via one Archer's flying machines, the latter had insisted on once again riding the motorcycle he had taken a liking to. She was starting to regret buying that for him, as twice now she had to suffer through the King of Heroes going on a joyride.

"Come now Reines, stand strong. You'll shame yourself as my Master if you allow yourself to look so pathetic."

"It's your fault I'm like this to begin with!" She retorted, currently in the process of fixing her hair as a result of the wind. "At any rate, we're going to have a lot to discuss with the others, so don't you dare leave my side until I say so."

"Do not fret, I have no intention of letting you speak everything to the others. I need to discuss something with Ruler and the King of Knights."

Gilgamesh replied, smirking at his Master while messing with her hair much to her annoyance as he walked past her into the building. Right now, there was really one thing he had on his mind at that moment. He wasn't about to let himself be distracted by anything else.

 _'Sajyou Manaka... she needs to be dealt with soon.'_

* * *

 ** _END_**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And that wraps up CH27. Sorry if this chapter comes off as one of those that needs more work, the guy who's basically my beta (who, along with helping me in grammar, is someone I discuss matters of the story with) is busy with stuff and I didn't want to bother him too much. I already double checked it myself, so does this chapter come off as okay? Please me gentle XD If there are problems then I'll fix them up as soon as I can.

To be honest, even if my beta guy was available, this chapter was another hard one for me to write. Mostly due to two particular scenes which you guys probably will note as belonging to Mordred and Jeanne. The first was basically a continuation of what happened last time. To be honest, it was really weird to write down a scene where Mordred isn't being her delinquent self. Anyway, think of it as a sort of wrap up to the events of last chapter. And I hope its good.

As for the scene with Jeanne, I hope that it worked well too. Again, romance isn't really one of my strong suit so I'm kinda nervous of how it turned out as I hope it doesn't come off as too fast even though it really is fast considering the time frame.

* * *

 _ **Guest Reviewer Section:**_

 _ **Guest:**_ Just read the story.

 _ **Pluto III:**_ That's not even a smart question.

* * *

That's it for now. Again, you guys liked the chapter please review :D


	29. Act III-28: The Next Phase

_**AN:**_ Here's Chapter 28. Hope you all like it. Please review :D

* * *

"Ugh, this is so boring~!"

Atop a rooftop, Elizabeth complained to herself as she sat at the ledge overlooking the city below.

As it was already night time, there weren't as many people out as there were in the morning. Still, there were still quite a few going about there business. She could only pout in annoyance at the sight of some enjoying themselves with others. Jealousy that others were having fun relaxing and she couldn't.

Why did she have to do this again? Earlier that day she had just went out on patrol with her Master and now she had to go on another one tonight without him? He got to relax while she had to work by herself? It was so unfair!

"My apologies Berserker, I know that you didn't want to do this."

Beside the pink-haired Servant stood Siegfried, the Dragon-Slayer who up until that point had been quietly observing their surroundings.

"Ugh, why are you even apologizing to me for?"

"Because, I volunteered to go out tonight didn't I? However, since Lady Fiore and Lord Caules didn't want me going by myself, you were ordered to accompany me as a result."

"It's not like we had any choice, not with our enemies out there." Elizabeth sighed to herself. "Still, if I was being ordered to go out again, I would have preferred to go after the bitch responsible for Uncle's death instead of prancing around this place."

The girl stated, grinding her teeth in anger as she curled her hands into fists.

"I see, so you were still angry about it after all."

"Like I would forget about it in the first place." Elizabeth countered with a huff, crossing her arms as she continued. "There's no way I'll forgive what happened to Uncle. I've already promised to avenge him after all."

"I see." Siegfried nodded in understanding before pausing for a moment. "I have something to ask you Berserker, if you don't mind that is."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Were you in love with Lancer?"

"Huh!?"

Elizabeth gawked at the Dragon-Slayer with an incredulous look on her face. It was enough for Siegfried to realize his mistake just then.

"Are you an idiot!? No, you are an idiot aren't you!? Don't be stupid! It wasn't anything like that at all. You do realize that I call him uncle don't you!?"

"Well it's certainly not uncommon for-"

"That's not the point!" She exclaimed in annoyance before sighing to herself. "Geez Saber, you really just had to put that image in my head didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention."

"Yeah well too bad Mr. Sorry, I can't get it out of my head now thanks to you!" The pink-haired Servant declared, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I mean sure, I liked Uncle a lot but not in that way. That be like marrying my father. And that would be _really_ weird even for me."

"I can see your point. Again, my apologies." Siegfried once more stated. He really should learn to watch whatever he was saying.

"Yeah, well... I think I know a way for you to make it up to me." The girl stated as a wide smile grew on her face. "Maybe I can put to use that thing I took from Master. It's only right that I get some recompense for my troubles here after all!"

"Um, what exactly do you have in mind?"

Before he could receive his answer, Elizabeth stood and quickly pointed a finger towards the former.

"Just be quiet and be a good by alright~? You're going to be my date for tonight~"

For a few moments, there was silence as Siegfried tried to process what had just been said to him.

"...What?"

* * *

 _ **Chapter 28:**_

 _ **The Next Phase  
**_

* * *

"What was that!? The two of you went to meet with Sajyou Manaka!?"

Waver demanded, directing his full attention towards Reines after what she had just said. Currently he and the other members that were present were all gathered within the living room after the young blonde had called for a meeting, with the rest of the alliance members present expressing similar looks of disbelief at what had just been revealed to them.

"I am. Do you doubt me for some reason brother?"

"It's not that! Why didn't you say something about what you were doing before now!?"

"It's not like I didn't want to inform you, but Archer had insisted on keeping it a secret since he thought you all would interfere." Reines replied with a sigh, crossing her arms as she turned her attention towards the Golden King himself while frowning at him. "A real troublesome Servant I must say, you'd think he believed that _he_ was the Master..."

"Oh? Trying to assert your dominance over me are you Reines?" Gilgamesh spoke out, smirking somewhat at his young Master.

"Oh please, it's not like it would do any good." The young blonde replied once more with a shrug of her shoulders before smiling at the former. "Besides, I know better than to force you to my will. That would likely make you less interesting and who would want that? I suppose being a little rebellious gives life to our pact with each other."

"Well spoken, I wouldn't have expected any less from you."

The Golden King nodded in satisfaction. He had initially believed Reines to be what her appearance had suggested. A child spoiled by her family, forever chasing the same stagnant dream that many magi shared as of the modern world.

Though he was right to a degree, Reines had proven herself to be more than just that. She had enough of a spine in her to stand by his side to go with him where danger lurked whereas other Masters would have likely remained behind instead. And despite her goal being more or less what he predicted, he was pleased to discover that it went deeper than what he had assumed. It wasn't much, but it was more than what he had expected and that much he could respect her for.

"So then, where is she?"

Arthur spoke out, gathering the attention of all present. Both Jeanne and Mordred merely looked on with eyes filled with uncertainty, not knowing what the former was thinking at the moment. After all, being her former Servant, he was the one with the most ties to Sajyou Manaka aside from the latter's sister.

Gilgamesh simply smirked at this, knowing that the former would have wanted answers the most among all of them. Though he wanted to poke fun at this, he saw the seriousness in the eyes of the King of Knights. As a King himself, the one above all for that matter, he would at least return the gesture as honor dictated.

"At cave located near the base of the mountain that this land's people call Fuji."

"Mount Fuji?" Jeanne spoke in realization. "That's quite a distance from here, no wonder I couldn't find out where she was with my abilities."

"The place where we fought was around the Tanzawa Mountain range, so it fits." Kairi added, the mercenary leaning against the wall as he spoke. "What I am curious about is what exactly did you and the little miss do there? You didn't pick a fight with them did you?"

"Nothing so extravagant as that." Gilgamesh replied, crossing his arms. "I merely had a _chat_ with them as some of you would call it. I wanted to confirm for myself everything that the King of Knights had said regarding that girl, and to see with my own eyes those she commands as her own."

"And? Did you find an answer then?" Arthur asked.

"You should already know the answer to that." The Golden King stated with a growing frown on his face. "The depths of that girl's insanity is clear. She will make it a point to summon the Beast sooner or later. The question is, when exactly will she do it? I believe that you would know the answer to that wouldn't you Saber?"

The former simply nodded in response.

"Indeed. Manaka is..." He began, pausing for a moment as he tried to get the words out. "Well, I don't how or why, but she's in love with me for some reason. And I suppose it's for that very same reason that she has decided to remain an observer for now. She's waiting for me to come to her, and that's likely when it all begins."

Even now, Arthur didn't really know what to make of Manaka's affection for him. It was a disturbing concept to say the least, and it wasn't because of who she was or what she did either.

The idea of someone loving him... the thought alone was simply troubling to the young man.

"That girl... who does she think she is?"

Mordred quietly growled to herself. It was quite obvious that by choosing to sideline herself for the time being that Sajyou Manaka was looking down on them. Instead of facing them head on, it was as though she believe that her victory was already assured and was merely waiting on her father to join her side.

Unacceptable... it was simply unacceptable!

"Speaking of which, there's another matter of concern that we need to talk about." Reines spoke up. "I'm assuming that you all know about the Archer who had that Saber of Red fought the other day?"

"Huh? What about him?"

Said blonde asked. She didn't want to be reminded of the black haired hero due to her near loss against him. If that wasn't bad enough, it was Archer of Red that had to save her from that particular situation too. What was it with her and her luck with Archers?

"Well in case you were wondering, he's already been revived."

"WHAT!?"

Mordred demanded with a shocked look on her face.

"That's quite a face you're making little girl." Gilgamesh stated with a amused grin on his face.

"Shut it! What's this about that bastard Archer being revived!? Didn't he die because of using that Noble Phantasm of his!?"

"It shouldn't be that surprising when you think about it Saber."

Fiore interrupted as the blonde turned her attention towards the young head of the Yggdmillennia.

"After all, given what Saber-" The young brunette paused for a moment, realizing how awkward it was for their to be multiple Servants in the same class to be present. "I mean, given what your father said before, all the Servants under Sajyou Manaka's command are those who participated in the Third Holy Grail War sixty years ago. If she can revive them once, what's stopping her from doing it again?"

"That's...!"

Mordred began but couldn't find it in herself to continue, finding logic in the former's words.

"Wait a minute, so you're saying that we're up against someone who can just revive her Servants whenever she wants? That's cheating isn't it? That's definitely cheating!"

Astolfo stated, arms crossed with annoyed pout on his face.

"But isn't that the same with the Rogue Faction?" Sieg asked.

"Not quite." Waver spoke up, proceeding to answer the young homunculus' question. "At least with them we could just take or destroy the cards to prevent any future revivals. With Sajyou Manaka however, we might be facing an uphill battle if we can't find a way to prevent her own Servants from reviving again and again."

"Nothing is ever simple is it?" Kairi asked with an annoyed sigh.

"It never is." The former replied.

"I believe I might have an idea regarding that."

Jeanne spoke up, resulting in everyone turning their attention towards the young saint.

"Do you have something in mind Ruler?" Waver asked.

"Perhaps a way to solve our problems regarding our enemies." She replied, holding a cross in her hand as she spoke. "As Ruler, you all know I have special privileges over other Servants by nature. And I'm also able to perform blessings and purification as well. If I take both of these and use them in tandem, I might be able to release them from that girl's grasp. I just need to know something first..."

The young saint simply stated before turning to the Golden King.

"Archer, how would you describe the Servants that Sajyou Manaka controls? Was there anything in particular about them that seemed unnatural?"

"There was." Gilgamesh replied, knowing where the former was going with this. "Though faint enough to not be immediately felt, there was an aura of corruption buried within each of their cores. No doubt the handiwork of that girl and the Beast, it's likely where their hold over those fools have taken root."

"I see, just like how I imagined it." Jeanne nodded in understanding. "Knowing what she intends to do, I couldn't simply believe that any Heroic Spirit would choose to follow her willingly. And I doubt that they wouldn't know either. There must have been something that's controlling them."

"You'd be surprised Ruler. There's all kinds of crazies in this world of ours."

Kairi commented. Given his line of work, he likely knew better than anyone else in the room aside from Waver.

"True, but I believe that all have good within them. A person simply needs to find a way to draw it out." Jeanne stated, beaming smile on her face that caused Kairi to flinch at how pure and honest it was. "At any rate, knowing that there is a darkness that's controlling them, I can use my abilities to purify them and perhaps release them from their contracts with Manaka."

"That might work, but it's all just a theory right now." Waver sighed as he massaged his forehead.

"If it's about releasing enemy Servants from contracts, I think Teacher might have something that can help with that."

Roche suddenly spoke up for the first time since the meeting began, looking towards Medea with a grin on his face. The latter simply nodded silently in response.

With a flick of her wrist, a strange looking dagger appeared in her hands. Jagged in shape, it looked as though it would break with a simple swing or stab.

"Everyone, this is Rule Breaker. It is my Noble Phantasm." Medea stated, holding the dagger out. "Since I doubt you'd all want a long winded explanation of how it works I'll keep it brief. Should I be able to get in close and stab a Servant with this dagger, I am then able to take the contract binding them to their Masters and make it my own."

"Seriously? I didn't know that."

Caules muttered in quiet amazement. Who knew that Caster had such a useful Noble Phantasm?

"That's because you haven't been paying attention." Roche replied with a hint of haughtiness in his tone. "Try to keep up Caules, otherwise you might embarrass yourself."

"Little brat...!" Caules muttered with half a mind to grind his fists into the former's head.

"Now now~" Fiore stated, trying to calm her little brother.

"You had something like that up your sleeve this entire time?" Mordred asked, narrowing her eyes at the blue-haired woman. "Pray tell Caster, if you had something like that then why didn't you say anything about it earlier?"

"Because in a war like this, if anyone found out then I'd be a likely target." Medea simply replied. "Besides, there's a limit to how many Servants I can gather under my control since they would share my magical energy as well. Not to mention that it might not even be worth it if the Servant in question is particularly rebellious in nature. At worst, we may even need to waste a Command Spell to bring them under control."

"I see..."

Mordred nodded in understanding, though she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Have no fear Saber, I have no intention of using it on you." Medea smiled in amusement at the young blonde. "I can see that you get along well with your Master after all."

"That's not what I was thinking about!"

The former stated as Kairi smirked in amusement at his Servant's expense.

"At any rate, perhaps we should adjourn this meeting for now." Jeanne spoke up, gesturing to the clock. "It's getting quite late, we can perhaps continue this in the morning."

"Continue what in the morning?"

A voice called out. Everyone soon turned their attention towards the entrance to the living room and found both Berserker and Saber of Black standing there.

"And just where have you two been this entire time? You were supposed to get back about an hour ago." Caules called out towards his Servant.

"Did something happen Saber?"

"I'm sorry Master, but after we had finished our patrol, Berserker had insisted on going to this place called a... uh, what was it called again Berserker?"

"A karaoke bar! What better place for me to prepare for my future right~?" Elizabeth replied with a smile on her face. "After that, we kinda went exploring around the town too. Oh, and before I forget, I used your wallet to pay for everything~"

"What!? I was wondering where that went!" Caules demanded as he took the wallet from the former's hands and feeling how light it was. "You went overboard didn't you? What else did you spend it on!?"

"Oh nothing much, now if you'll excuse me I want try these new outfits I brought~!"

With that, the pink-haired girl quickly left the area. For a brief second however, as she left Caules could see multiple shopping bags hanging of her tail.

"Hey! That's not _nothing much_ at all!" He cried out, chasing after his Servant.

"Ooh! Let me join in too Berserker~!"

Astolfo spoke out as well, curious to see what kind of clothes that the former had brought.

Soon enough, all three left running up the stairs. Sieg went after them as well being the Master of the pink-haired paladin.

"Well now... that was something."

Kairi commented, somewhat amused at what had just occurred. If only everyday madness like that was the only thing they had to ready themselves for.

* * *

"Archer of Red did what?"

Julian asked as one of Assassin's personas came up to him with a surprising bit of information.

"Yes, one of my brethren had seen him leaving the city earlier today and tailed after him." Assassin spoke. "For a good while, we believed that he was searching for something and we were eventually proven correct when he discovered the location of Sajyou Manaka."

"The location of Sajyou Manaka..."

"Yes, it's located at a cave near the base of Mount Fuji."

"Since it's quite a distance from the city, both Kotomine and Ruler wouldn't be able to use their abilities to detect her immediately." Julian surmised with a thoughtful look on his face. "What did Archer of Red want with her? Was there a battle?"

"No there wasn't, and our apologies Master. In fear that he could have been discovered, our brother decided to observe from afar instead of attempting to get closer." Assassin replied once more, bowing his head in shame. "At the very least however, we were able to surmise that perhaps Archer of Red simply wanted to meet with Sajyou Manaka. For what reason, we do not know. Perhaps it was to satisfy some form of curiosity he had over her."

"True, Archer of Red does seem like the type of person who would do that."

Though he had only seen Archer of Red in person only once, it was enough for Julian to determine the type of character that the King of Heroes was. Further observations from Assassin of Black helped as well. A part of him suspected that perhaps the reason he was there was to join forces with Sajyou Manaka. It was too early to say.

Still, now that her location had been discovered, they could-

"Don't even think about it Julian."

Shirou asked, appearing behind the young teen as he walked towards the Master and Servant duo. Assassin quickly disappearing as he bid his Master farewell in order give the two some privacy as they spoke.

"We've gone over this already earlier didn't we? We're not to go after Sajyou Manaka."

"With our current strength as it is, if we went on a full-on assault then we can take her." Julian countered as he crossed his arms. "Why must you be so cowardly Kotomine? It's just one girl, and including you and even that useless writer, our Servants outnumber her own. We have her location and she doesn't know about it. If we strike now, we can catch her off-guard and take back the grail. Even you should see that!"

"Quality over quantity Julian, remember that." Shirou replied with a sigh. "And who's to say that Sajyou Manaka doesn't already know about what Assassin did? She could very well be preparing for us to make a move and we'll only fall into a trap once we do."

"Then what do you suggest we do then? In the event that we finally need to strike back at her, what do you propose we do?"

"Leave that to me, you simply worry about keeping yourself safe for the sake of both your sisters."

"Sister." Julian corrected with a frown. "Erica is the only sibling I have left."

"That's rather cold don't you think?"

"I'm simply speaking the truth. Denying it will not change anything."

With that, Julian left as Shirou simply sighed at black-haired youth. He was growing incredibly troublesome lately. The young priest was starting to fear that his desire to take action would be his downfall. He needed to keep a closer eye on the former before he did something reckless.

"..."

Unknown to the two however, Angelica had been walking about before stopping at a corner when she heard the two speaking to one another.

 _"Erica is the only sibling I have left."_

His words echoed through her mind. She knew not what to say. Rather, there wasn't anything she could say for what Julian had said was true in her mind.

Whoever she was right now, she couldn't be called Angelica Ainsworth anymore. For that woman had perished long ago.

Knowing this, the blonde silently continued on her way.

* * *

 _"Hey Gil, time to wake up~!"_

 _Once there was a King..._

 _"..."_

 _"Hey, I know you're awake. Don't try to ignore me."_

 _This King was a man born of the gods. Two-thirds divine, one-third mortal. He had been chosen from birth to ascend to the role of King of the land. He had been destined to lead others as the chosen of the gods. He did so exceedingly, surpassing all expectations they had of him._

 _"..."_

 _"Ugh, you really don't wanna wake up do you?"_

 _However, the King grew proud. Having been given everything from birth, arrogance had grown within him as time passed. Soon he began to abuse his authority, and the people prayed to the gods to help temper the tyrannical rule of their King._

 _"..."_

 _"Alright, you asked for it~"_

 _And so the gods created another who would stand equal to the King, one made of mud that been given life. They had always known that the King would become a tyrant, and so created one who would reprimand him for his behavior._

 _The name of that person was-_

 _"ENUMA-"_

 _...!_

 _"DAMMIT ENKIDU!"_

 _Gilgamesh quickly exclaimed, quickly getting up from his bed in a scramble when he saw what his friend was about to do. He glared directly at his green-haired companion, the latter of whom was smiling in amusement at the Golden King while speaking._

 _"Ahaha! I can see that you're awake now."_

 _"Anybody would be woken up when you try pulling off something like that! You were serious just then weren't you!?"_

 _"Hmm? I do not know what you're talking about~?"_

 _Enkidu replied coyly, a sly smile directed at Gilgamesh who simply grumbled in annoyance. Why is it that the former always felt a need to invoke a desire to kill him in order to wake him up? He wasn't that much of a deep sleeper was he? Every morning it was always like this!_

 _Taking a moment to gaze at the sky beyond his room, he noted that it was quite early in morning as well._

 _"So then? What's so important that you felt the need to awaken me so early?"_

 _"Hmm? Isn't today the day you promised me that we'd go exploring to the south?"_

 _"Hah? You woke me up for something so simple?"_

 _"What do you mean something so simple? Aren't you curious as to what lies beyond our borders?"_

 _"As if I would need to explore to do that. The gods have already given me that knowledge."_

 _"Oh, so you don't mind getting all fat and wrinkled then?"_

 _"What!? I'm fighting fit!"_

 _"Exactly! Because of that, we should go on an adventure today. It simply wouldn't do for the King of Uruk to lay about doing nothing and allowing for his body to get weak. We have to keep you in shape after all~" Enkidu stated, eyeing the Golden King's body for a moment with a glint. "And besides, I heard from Siduri that there's a nest of monsters somewhere in that direction. If we go there now, we can take them out along the way."  
_

 _For a few moments, Gilgamesh pondered the former's words. Monsters from the south had been plaguing the kingdom for some time now..._

 _"Fine then, we'll do what you want."  
_

 _"Yes!"_

 _He relented much to the joy of his friend. The latter had been rather energetic lately, wanting to see more of the world in the process. He had to wonder to himself why that was. Was it out of curiosity perhaps? Given Enkidu's usual nature, he wouldn't be surprised if that was the case._

 _How little he knew at the time..._

* * *

"A dream...?"

Reines muttered to herself, blinking somewhat as sunlight shined through the windows of her room.

Sitting up, the young blonde took a moment wipe her eyes as she yawned.

 _'That was... Archer's past.'_

She thought to herself. She had heard about such a thing from her Waver before, about how in time, a Master would eventually experience the past of their Servants through dream cycles. This was the first time it actually happened to her.

 _'And that person, the one with the long hair... that was Enkidu?'_

Enkidu, the wild man created by the gods in order to put an end to Gilgamesh's reign of tyranny as prayed to them by the latter's people. According to what she read, that was the case, but clearly the person she saw in her dreams was anything but wild at all.

She didn't expect the former to look so... effeminate. She honestly couldn't tell if he was even supposed to be a very good looking man or a very beautiful woman, especially when with the long white robes that Enkidu wore. Then again, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised. Legends stated that Enkidu's appearance was based upon Shamhat the divine harlot. If he looked like a woman, it was because his appearance was based upon one.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Soon enough, Gilgamesh materialized within the room arms crossed as he looked at his young Master.

"Did you know?"

"I experienced a vision of your past last night." The former replied as a smirk grew on his face. "I have to say that it was a rather dull experience."

"Oh be quiet will you?" Reines snapped in annoyance before a question popped up in her mind. "Say Archer, I'm rather curious about something."

"What is it?"

"Was a Enkidu a man or a woman?"

"Irrelevant. Man or woman, Enkidu is Enkidu." The former replied in annoyance. "And I've grown tired of this conversation. Get yourself dressed Reines, it would be unfitting for a lady to sleep in wouldn't you agree?"

With that, the Golden King left the room as the young blonde could only blink in surprise at how quickly the former responded to her words.

"Hmm, so he doesn't want to talk about him does he?"

She surmised. So there were things that even Archer didn't want to talk about. Somehow such a thing simply amused her to no end.

With said, there was another thing bothering her.

"Berating me for sleeping in... like he's one to talk."

Reines muttered to herself in annoyance. Knowing that there wasn't any point in dwelling on the subject, as she got out of bed and went on her morning routine.

* * *

"Are you quite sure about this?"

"I am."

Jeanne replied to Arthur, the two currently taking a stroll around the area near the Sajyou Estate.

As breakfast had not been prepared yet, the young saint decided to take a short walk to pass the time. Aside from her duties with the Alliance, she had spent at least three days doing nothing at the estate already. She needed the exercise. And being the dutiful Servant that he was, Arthur had decided to accompany the blonde on her walk.

Once they were a distance away, a conversation regarding Jeanne's plan had sparked between the two.

"I'm simply not quite sure on how exactly you're going to go about your plan." Arthur replied, his voice having a troubled tone as he spoke. "You said that you merely need to touch our enemies for it to work?"

"Yes. Though to be precise, I need to grab a hold of them for a few moments." The young saint replied. "I understand your fears, but please do not worry. I believe that this plan has a chance of succeeding."

"I know, but getting in close is a difficult task in itself. Not to mention we don't have any proof that it would work at all..."

"Indeed, which is why I have an idea regarding that."

"What is it?"

"We simply need to capture one of them first and then test it!"

"What!?"

Arthur asked, taken aback by the simple yet absurd answer that the young saint had arrived at. The fact that former didn't even pause for a moment before revealing it along with the confident smile on her face served to only increase said feeling.

"You don't have to sound so surprised do you?"

Jeanne asked with a small pout, somewhat offended by the former's reaction.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think you'd suggest something so reckless." Arthur simply replied with apologetic smile on his face. "Archer, Rider, Lancer, Caster... all of them aren't so easily trifled with that they'd allowed themselves to be captured. I believe that they'd rather be killed than let it happen. And knowing that they can be revived by Manaka, I can see them going ahead with a such a thing."

"True, I hadn't considered that..."

Jeanne sighed to herself. She supposed that she should have taken that into consideration. Some people were to proud to let themselves be take captive by others. She had seen her fair share of said individuals during the war against the English, and it saddened her to no end in bearing witness to such things.

"I suppose if all else fails, we can rely on Caster and her Noble Phantasm." She stated. "But even that plan would have its own set of drawbacks. Ideally, it be best if we were to use my abilities. If we could get our hands on one of them..."

"I suppose we could try, we don't have many options after all." Arthur replied as gazed at the other blonde a concerned expression. "All I ask is this. Do promise me that you won't do anything too reckless. I'd rather like it if both you and I are able to see this war through to the very end."

"Together..." Jeanne muttered to herself, fighting off the blush that threatened to appear on her face. "Yes, I would like that as well."

Once the young man had turned his attention elsewhere, she couldn't help but sigh to herself.

When did she become so easily swayed by something so simple? She knew that there was no special meaning in Arthur's words. It was clear to her that he was saying that as someone who valued his comrades, a sentiment which she also returned as well.

But, the way he had said it...

 _'I suppose it was already clear, but Arthur truly is a dangerous enemy for a woman to face.'_

Jeanne concluded to herself, eyeing the young man with a frown on her face much to the latter's own confusion having noticed her glancing his way.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing."

She replied with a sigh. A part of her was somehow glad that Arthur was somewhat oblivious to it. Someone with his looks and personality, surely he was the type who was likely popular with women. Much to her relief, she didn't summon a flirt.

 _'Then again, in a way I suppose that actually makes him even more dangerous...'_

"I found you!"

A voice called out. Turning around, the duo came face to face with...

"Mordred?"

Arthur stated, surprised by the sudden appearance of the former. Well, he felt her presence earlier but he didn't think she would appear in front of him and Jeanne.

"We have something to talk about." Mordred began, quickly closing the gap between her and her father. "I was patient about it last night since it was late, but now the time is perfect. I won't accept it if you suddenly say we should talk later!"

"Alright then, calm down. There's no need to walk up to me like you're about to pick a fight." The young man reprimanded.

"Huh? Oh. Ah, right..."

Mordred quickly replied, backing off from her father with a somewhat embarrassed.

Arthur merely sighed at this. Just now, he seriously did think that the former came for a fight. No doubt it was because of the perpetually angry look her eyes had whenever they talked. Well he supposed that couldn't be helped. After all, not long ago she was angry at him. At this point, her glaring at him would be second nature to her.

"Hehe."

Jeanne giggled to herself, slightly unable to contain her glee at what she was seeing. She didn't know what happened between the two after she and the others left. But seeing them interact just now, she already had an idea and thus she couldn't help the growing smile on her face.

"Hmm? What are you smiling at Ruler?" Mordred asked, taking note of the former's gaze.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Please continue~" Jeanne replied with a wave of her hand.

"No, you're definitely smiling!" The red knight insisted with an annoyed frown on her face. "And you were laughing at me just now too weren't you!?"

"Mordred."

Arthur called out once more, sighing as the former huffed and turned her attention away from the young saint.

"At any rate, you were saying?"

"Huh? Oh, right." The young blonde replied, turning to face her father. "This is about that girl Gray. Just who is she?"

...!

That was enough to catch the young man's attention, who was somewhat surprised by the suddenness of the question.

"The other night, me and Ruler overheard you and her talking." Mordred added. "You called her your descendant. Is that really true!?"

"I see, so you two were listening on were you..."

Arthur stated, glancing at the young saint who merely smiled in embarrassment at having been outed.

"My apologies Arthur, I didn't mean to listen in." Jeanne replied, twiddling her fingers together. "I was looking for you at the time and then I found out where you were. Mordred ended up following me, and so we..."

"Never mind that! Just answer the question already!" Mordred demanded impatiently.

"Mordred." Arthur reprimanded with a stare, one that caused the former to turn her head away in a huff. The former merely sighed at this. "Well, it's not like I'm trying to keep secrets from either of you. Though I am curious. How much did the two of you overhear?"

"Only what Mordred said just now." Jeanne replied, pausing for a moment. "So, um, is it true? That you and Gray are...?"

"Yes, as surprising as it is, she and I are actually family." Arthur replied with a smile on his face. "And to be precise, she's a direct descendant of mine."

"WHAT!?" Mordred demanded in shock.

"Oh my, now that's quite a surprise." Jeanne replied, somewhat unable to process the unexpected news herself. "To think that such a thing would occur. Sir Lancelot, Mordred, and now Gray... this Grail War is filled with coincidences for you isn't it?"

"Now I do wonder about that." Arthur chuckled in response, glancing at Mordred with a smile. "I'll admit however, I won't complain about it."

Mordred merely blushed in embarrassment at this, unable to find a response to her father's words.

"A-At any rate, how is that even possible?" She asked, changing the subject. "I mean, I can understand the idea of her being possibly related... but a direct descendant?"

"I know, it surprised me as well." The young man replied. "I'm still trying to process it."

"Wait a minute, you didn't-"

"Don't even say it."

Arthur quickly responded with a firm tone, unamused as he knew what the former was insinuating.

"Hmm? What are you two talking about?"

Jeanne asked, taking note of the troubled looks that both father and daughter had.

"Ah, but of course. I haven't told you about it yet, have I?"

"About what?"

"Good question. Let's see now..." Arthur replied, pausing for a moment to think. He turned his head to look at Mordred and spoke. "Mordred, would you mind leaving the two of us alone for now?"

"Huh? But why?"

"I simply need to bring Jeanne up to speed, and I feel it would be somewhat awkward to do so with your presence. You can understand can't you?"

As much as Mordred wanted to retort, the young blonde simply remained quiet and nodded in understanding. She glared at the young saint, somewhat annoyed at her father's decision to involve her. She didn't even have anything to do with them, so why was her father involving her?

She couldn't understand, and felt she probably wouldn't anytime soon either.

"Fine, do what you want then." Mordred simply replied with a huff. "But I'll be back soon, so make it quick!"

With that, the red knight disappeared leaving the other two blondes by themselves once more. Arthur simply found himself chuckling at the former's abrasiveness. He supposed that it wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"What's going on Arthur?"

"It's nothing." The young man quickly replied, a crooked smile on his face before he shook his head. "No, that's wrong as well. Think of it as complicated. I believe that there's a park near here. We should go there to sit down, what I'm about to tell you may take a while."

Jeanne nodded at this, somewhat perturbed by how melancholic the former was now acting. She wondered to herself just what could have made him act the way he did. A part of her knew that whatever it was, it wasn't something she was going to like hearing about.

After arriving at the park, the two sat down at a bench. Soon afterwards, Arthur spoke.

"Alright then, I suppose it's time to tell you what happened..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Sajyou Estate...

"Come on dragon boy, let's see some fire!"

"Hah!"

Within the confines of the greenhouse, both Achilles and Sieg were in the middle of a sparring session with one another, the former easily dominating the latter as they fought. To the side stood Astolfo, Siegfried, Medea, and the latter two's respective Masters. All of whom were observing the ongoing battle with interest.

"You can do it Sieg~!" The young paladin cheered on.

"Dragons have naturally sharper instincts than humans. Use it to your advantage!" Siegfried added, arms crossed as he spoke. "Be careful to not let yourself be overwhelmed however, you might go into a primal state if you do."

"I know, however-!"

...!

"Gah!"

Sieg cried out, having been struck down by Achilles with a simple yet quick blow to the chest. Signaling the end of the match.

"I suppose that was to be expected."

Fiore commented, feeling somewhat sorry for Sieg as she saw Achilles walk up to the young homunculus.

"Rule number one, don't take your eyes off the enemy in front of you kid." He grinned as he spoke, helping the former up. "Do that once you've reached my level. Until then, always have your guard up."

"I can see that. My apologies..."

"Hmm? Why the heck are you apologizing for?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I'm sorry..."

"Hah!" Achilles chuckled as he glanced at Siegfried. "Hey Saber, looks like this kid is trying to steal your catchphrases!"

"Please don't call it a catchphrase."

"Well you do say I'm sorry a lot~" Astolfo pointed out.

"Please don't encourage him."

"As entertaining as this is gentlemen, I do insist that we continue on." Medea interrupted. "During the last battle, Sieg had proved himself capable of taking on human imbued with the abilities of a Servant. Though we do not know the full extent of their capabilities yet, it proves that mine and Lord Darnic's experiment was not wasted. If he can learn to harness his abilities more, the more useful he will be in the coming battles."

"Come on now Caster, you're talking about Sieg like he's a tool." Astolfo chided with a frown.

"Apologies Rider, but I'm simply making ensuring that our chances of surviving this war are in our favor." Medea replied before turning to face Siegfried. "At any rate, would you mind sparring with him next Saber?"

"I see, so it's me then?"

"I believe the best way to teach Sieg about dragons is to have him learn from a dragon-slayer no?" The blue-haired woman replied with a smile on her face.

"Then if that's the case, what was the point of Lancer then?" Astolfo innocently asked with a grin on his face.

"Hey, I'm standing right here!" The Adamant Hero retorted in annoyance.

"Between the three of you, Lancer undoubtedly is the best fighter." Medea simply replied much to Achilles' elation. "Simply teaching Sieg to learn how to control his abilities isn't enough. He'll need the battle skill necessary to make full use of them as well. And with our current situation, one teacher wouldn't be enough to raise his skill to a desirable level."

"I guess I can see that, but I feel like we'll be working Sieg to the ground if we do."

"What does it matter? He's a homunculus, he can take a few hits can't he?"

"Roche!"

Fiore chided her cousin for his rudeness. It was always like this when he was dealing with people he believed were of lesser stations to him. She gave an apologetic wave to Astolfo, the latter of whom was frowning at the boy for his statement.

"It's alright Rider." Sieg called out, catching pink-haired paladin's attention. "Caster has a point. The stronger I can get, the better. Though I don't like being treated like a tool, I won't complain if it means I can fight alongside and protect my comrades as well."

"Sieg..."

Astolfo muttered to himself, somewhat surprised by the former's declaration. That was a rather straightforward declaration coming Sieg. Since when did he become like that?

No, perhaps that was wrong. Maybe he was always like that but only now was he starting to fully express himself. Regardless of whatever was the cause, it warmed his heart to know that his friend was slowly coming into his own. A feeling of pride blooming within it as well.

"Well spoken kid, you're starting to show some spirit. I like that." Achilles stated with a grin on his face, patting the young homunculus on the back. "Count on me to be your teacher, just like how Chiron was for me."

"Chiron..."

Sieg muttered, knowing that to be the true name of Archer of Black. Thinking about the latter... a part of him started to ache.

"What's the matter? You're clutching your chest." Achilles called out.

"Huh?"

The young homunculus replied, realizing that he indeed had a hand on his chest. Just when did that happen?

"I see, so that's how it is." Astolfo commented.

"How what is?" The former asked.

"You're feeling sadness Sieg." The young paladin replied, a crooked smile on his face as he approached his friend. "You miss Archer don't you?"

"I miss him?"

Sieg replied, somewhat unsure of himself. Emotions were still something of a foreign feeling to him. Though he could tell what they were. Rider for instance was a constant source of joy and cheerfulness. He had to wonder to himself just where exactly did he get his energy from to make him act the way he did. Perhaps it was just a natural part of his being?

Sadness on the other hand... so this is what it felt like?

"Just now, it did hurt my chest a little just thinking about him. This is sadness?"

"Yeah." Astolfo nodded once more. "And it's natural that you feel that way. You liked him didn't you?"

"Liked him?" Sieg wondered to himself briefly before smiling somewhat. "Yes, I believe so. The things he would sometimes say were amazing to me. Compared to me, he was a hero who had seen the world and met many people. I wish I could've listened to him more."

"Don't worry about it, we'll gut the bastard who did him in."

Achilles replied, an uncharacteristic look of anger on his face as he spoke. Something that Sieg noted. Though he was somewhat unfamiliar with emotions, he knew anger when he saw it. Often did his late creator have such an expression whenever one of his brethren did something wrong. Right now, Lancer had a similar look on his face.

However, it was rather brief. Soon enough the former was back to normal.

"Right then... Saber, this kid's all yours."

"Very well then. Shall we proceed then Sieg?"

"Huh? Ah, yes. I'm in your care Saber!"

As Sieg's training resumed, Medea could only smile in amusement of what she had just witnessed. It was like watching a child starting to become an adult. Slowly, but surely.

Speaking of children, even though she didn't really care much about it personally...

"Master, about what you said just now to young Sieg..."

"Huh? What about it Teacher-!?"

Roche called out before freezing up as he saw the rather cold look the former had in her eyes, one that was complimented by a smile as Medea spoke.

"Didn't I say that children such as yourself shouldn't be so rude? It's simply inappropriate. I suppose someone needs to be disciplined~"

"Huh!?"

As Caster began her disciplining, Fiore could only giggle at Roche's expense.

* * *

"I see, so that's what happened..."

Jeanne quietly stated, sitting beside Arthur as the latter had just finished his story.

"Is there a problem?" The latter asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about something..."

The young saint replied. Truth be told, she really couldn't have expected any of what she had heard. To know of the former's past, what he had went through... her heart could only ache at the mere thought of it all.

"Are you sure it's fine telling me all of this?" She asked.

"Hmm? Of course, why shouldn't I?"

"It's just that it's rather personal... it feels somewhat awkward for me to hear all of this."

"I don't mind, I consider you a close friend." Arthur replied with a smile on his face. "And as my Master, I felt that you had the right to know eventually. I chose to serve you after all. As such, I also I entrust to you my feelings and thoughts."

"I-I see. I'm honored."

Jeanne nodded in response. Once more fought back the urge to blush at the former's words.

"Still Arthur, I'm amazed at you." She began, changing the subject.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Even after all that, everything that you went through with the lost of your son, the betrayal of your best friend and wife, you've somehow managed to stand strong and braved through it all without losing your way. I somehow doubt that I might be able to do something like that."

"Now I doubt that, not many people can say with a straight face that they didn't mind being executed by their enemies." The young man responded. "You're strong as well Jeanne, don't ever forget that. I can only hope to match your own strength of will some day, Saint of Orleans."

"Please don't call me that, I'm no Saint. I only did what I can for the sake of my country in a time of turbulence. I hardly believe something like that would be enough to call someone a Saint over, let alone a simple farm girl like myself."

Jeanne stated with a small frown. The mere idea of being called Saint was still rather uncomfortable to her.

"My apologies then, I didn't mean to offend you." Arthur replied before laying a hand on the former's shoulder. "However, perhaps it might be my opinion, but I do believe that you are someone worthy of your title. Even though I've only caused you trouble, you've been nothing but kind and helpful to me."

"Now you know that's not true, you're-"

"Tch. So that's how it is huh?"

The conversation between the two stopped as they turned their attention forward, looking to see Mordred standing there with her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face. At the moment, she was also smoking a cigarette. In her hands was a small box containing more.

"M-Mordred...?"

Jeanne muttered somewhat nervously, taking note of the fact that the former was staring at her narrowed eyes. Just what did she mean by what she said just now?

"Are you two done flirting already?"

"F-Flirting...!?"

Jeanne repeated in embarrassment, somewhat mortified by what the younger blonde had said just now while trying to compose herself.

"Don't be silly, we were simply talking Mordred."

"Hmph, so you say..."

Mordred simply replied, unconvinced by her father's words. The young saint simply sighed as she allowed herself to relax once more. Though at the same time a part of her was somewhat annoyed by how easily Arthur had set aside what Mordred had said.

"Also, where did you even get that?"

Arthur then asked, pointing to what Mordred had in her hands.

"This? I borrowed it from my Master." Mordred revealed with a grin on her face. "I was wondering what was so good about putting these things in your mouth. My Master does it all the time when we're outdoors. Now I can see why, it's unlike anything in this world~"

"I see. In any event..."

...!

Before Mordred even knew it, Arthur stood up and took away both box and the smoke she had in her mouth.

"I'm confiscating these."

He said, pocketing the cigarette box and extinguishing the one in his hand.

"Wha-!?" Mordred nearly cried out. "Wait a minute, you can't just do that!"

"Did you fail to see the sign?"

The young man said, pointing to a sign that basically stated that the park was a no smoking zone.

"Servants we might be, but that doesn't mean we're above the law. At the very least we should conform to some. Have you forgotten your oaths and pride as a knight?"

"Urgh..."

The former merely grumbled in response, unable to say anything to her father.

"Hehe!"

Jeanne giggled at the sight. Seeing the two act just now, it was like watching... no, it was exactly like how a parent would scold their child. Perhaps it was too be expected given that they were indeed related in that sense, but she couldn't help but be amused at what she saw.

"Tch, do what you want then."

Mordred stated, an annoyed pout on her face as she sat down on the bench beside Jeanne. The former momentarily glanced at the latter, narrowing her eyes to such an extent that it caused Jeanne to feel somewhat nervous.

"Anyway, have you finished bringing Ruler up to speed?"

"I am."

"Good, because I'm not waiting any longer. Just how is that girl Gray supposed to be _your_ descendant!?" She demanded. "Unless you somehow managed to knock up some other random woman, there's no way that should even be possible!"

"Please don't automatically assume I slept with a third woman." Arthur replied, completely unamused at what the former had said. "Besides, there's already an explanation as to how. Trust me when I say this, you won't believe it."

"Try us." Mordred simply stated with a huff, crossing her arms as she leaned back on the bench.

"Alright then." Arthur began, taking a moment for himself before continuing. "To keep things simple, I'll say it bluntly. Gray is a descendant of mine through Lucius."

"HAH!?"

Mordred cried out, nearly falling off from the bench as she slipped. Jeanne herself was equally surprised, covering her mouth with one hand unable to find the words to speak.

"Lucius!?" The former began, standing up as she yelled. "But how's that even possible!? Didn't he...!"

"I know, but somehow a miracle happened." Arthur replied, unable to contain the growing smile he had. "I won't go into detail since I don't know the full extent of it myself, but just know that he managed to live. Which is more than what I can ask for as a parent."

"Arthur that's wonderful news!" Jeanne said with a smile of her own, congratulating the former as she held his hands.

"Lucius..."

Mordred muttered to herself, unable to wrap her head around the idea that her younger brother had lived...

Wait, something didn't add up.

"Father, how did you even find out about this?" The red knight asked. "Did that girl tell you or something?"

"No, it was someone quite dear to me who explained it." Arthur simply replied, his smile growing wider. "You know her Mordred, she also wished you well. She hoped that the two of us would get along this time."

"Her?"

She repeated to herself. Someone that was dear to her father and was a woman, one that wished her well? Not many people knew who she really was. Even among the Round Table, Agravain had been the only one aside from her father who knew her true identity. And that was because he had worked with her mother before eventually turning on her in order to serve her father. Not that she blamed Agravain for that...

A woman who was dear to her father... wait, it couldn't be could it!?

"Was it Merlin!?"

"No."

Arthur replied with a bemused look on his face. He supposed he should have expected that.

"Wait, Merlin's a woman?" Jeanne asked.

"Yes, didn't I mention it before?" Arthur replied.

"You didn't. I see now..."

The former said, nodding in understanding at the revelation. The image of an elderly bearded mage disappearing from her mind. Now she was curious to know more about the now revealed to be female Merlin. She wondered to herself what she looked like.

"At any rate, the one who revealed the knowledge to me was actually Guinevere."

"Guinevere? But how? It's nearly been around fifteen hundred years since our time."

Mordred protested. It was one thing to find out that Lucius had lived, but this was something else entirely.

"Call it a miracle." Her father replied. "Merlin had casted a spell that allowed her to communicate with me after all this time. We had... many things to talk about."

"I see..." Mordred nodded in understanding. If it was Merlin, then she could believe anything. "You said that she wished me well?"

"Yes, though she didn't exactly say something like that I suppose. But it was clear to me that's what she meant."

"Hmph, who does that woman think she is? Wishing someone who had demeaned her well... clearly the two of you were meant for each other I guess."

"Haha, you think so?" Arthur chuckled in response, oblivious to the look of uncertainty that Jeanne had as the two spoke.

"Yeah. Maybe if not for that bastard Lancelot, you two could have remained that way. You sure you're not that mad at him at all?"

"I have my grievances against Lancelot, but I won't let what happened ruin my friendship with him."

"Hmph, I don't get you father. If it were me, I'd hang him."

"Perhaps... be that as it may, let me handle him when the time comes."

"Do what you want, but if he comes after me I'll cut off his head myself."

With that, Mordred turned around as she left the area. Not even bothering to hear her father's response anymore.

No, she already knew which is why she left. Her father really was too kind at times.

"That girl..."

Arthur simply sighed as he shook his head. Mordred was right to question him, but he believed that the matter with Lancelot was his to settle.

"At any rate, shall we head back now? By now, breakfast should be-"

He paused when he saw the look on Jeanne's face. Her brows were furrowed together somewhat, and that was enough for him to know that something was wrong.

"Is something the matter...?"

"H-Huh? Oh, it's nothing." The former quickly replied, noticing that what she been doing.

"Don't lie to me Jeanne, you're thinking about something."

"I promise, it's nothing." Jeanne replied, trying to assure the young man. "It's just that I'm a little curious about something Arthur."

"What is it?"

"About Guinevere... do you still love her?"

Arthur blinked in surprise at this. He hadn't expected such a question to come from the young saint.

"What brought this on?"

"Please, answer the question."

"I do, and I always will."

He replied, somewhat unsure of what Jeanne was trying to ask of him.

"I see."

Jeanne smiled to herself, satisfied with the answer.

"Come then, it's about time we head back."

"Jeanne?"

"Yes?"

"Is there-No, never mind."

The young man replied, following after Jeanne as the two made their way back towards the estate. There was something wrong, but he didn't think it was right to push the matter any further for now. He knew there was a problem, but what could he do about it?

 _'He still loves her...'_

Jeanne thought to herself, repeating said thought for some time as they continued to walk.

...!

"Ah!"

Failing to look where she was going, Jeanne tripped.

"Be careful!"

Arthur called out, catching the young saint before she fell.

The moment she had felt him close, she panicked and quickly pulled away. Turning her back to the former as she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry. That was unworthy of me."

"It's alright, but you should watch were you're going. I don't think it would be dignified to fall because you tripped on your own legs."

He teased, trying to ease the tension he felt emanating from the young saint. Just what was going on?

"I know. Let's just hurry back!"

"Huh? Wait!"

Jeanne quickly replied, getting a running start over the former while ignoring his cries for her to wait.

Right now, she couldn't really face him. Not unless she wanted him to see her blushing face.

 _'I... I really do love him.'_

She admitted her feelings last night, but now she was completely certain of what they were. She loved him like a woman would to a man.

He was teasing, but always kind. Sometimes full of doubt, yet bravely faced anything that came his way. And always a supportive and caring person was the young man towards her. In such a short span of time, the young saint had come to love everything about him.

 _'But, I can't...'_

She tried to convince herself again and again, for she knew that her feelings could never become something more. They were Servants after all, beings that were short-lived existences. Anything that could grow between them would disappear as quickly as it came.

Besides...

 _'He still cares for another...'_

Just now, what Arthur had said about Guinevere... She could tell it from the way he spoke. He was completely sincere about it. The mere fact that he was brought a small smile to her face. How strange it was, smiling for a reason like that though she already knew the reason why.

After everything that had happened, he was willing to look past the affair and continue loving her as he always did. Most others would have been outraged if their spouse were to cheat on them, yet he didn't. It simply spoke levels of the bond he had with her, and of Arthur's own strength character as well.

Knowing that, who was she to get in its way?

 _'Yet, still...'_

Jeanne could no longer help what she was feeling towards him. Hearing what he just said had only served to strengthen her feelings even more.

But with it came jealousy. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was jealous of the fact that there was a woman out there that could inspire such feelings in Arthur. She was happy that he could love someone so purely, but the mere thought of it brought on a wave of unpleasantness that spread itself throughout her mind.

She hated it... she hated feeling this way. Jeanne felt her heart tighten more and more as the realization dawned on her.

 _'Please, tell me what I should do my lord...'_

The young saint prayed, hoping to receive an answer soon.

* * *

"Hmm..."

Manaka mumbled to herself, narrowing her eyes at what she just witnessed.

That woman... who did she think she was?

"Caster, have you finished hacking the grail yet?"

"Soon my Master, I just need a little more time." Tamamo replied, observing the floating sphere in front of her. "Is something the matter?"

"No, but I am curious about something."

Manaka replied, walking up towards the Trifas Grail before stopping right in front of it. Truly it was a beautiful sight to behold. Compared to the grail used in her war, the one used for the current war was far more prettier to look at. She could say it again and again and probably wouldn't get tired of it.

"Now then..."

...!

"MIKO~N!?"

Tamamo yelped in surprise when suddenly she saw the young blonde quickly sticking her hand deep into the grail. A surge of energy burst forth, cascading around the area as it destroyed the surroundings bit by bit.

Soon however, it began to stop as Manaka pulled her hand back.

"Heh... I see now, so Shirou-kun had a Servant like that with him did he?"

Manaka replied, smiling sweetly at the former. She then turned her attention towards her hand, gazing at it as she was lost in thought.

 _'Whoever placed that security measure is good... I suppose just brute forcing it wouldn't be enough.'_

The moment she had placed her hand into the grail, it started to burn up at an incredible rate. While there was no visible damage on it, it did hurt her a little.

Whoever it was that modified the grail, she had to give them respect. She had a feeling that she'd meet them soon.

"Um, Master...? Did you do something?"

The fox-eared woman asked, unsure exactly of what the young blonde had just done. To this day, her Masters abilities were still simply beyond her. She was no ordinary mage that was to be sure. From being able to masterfully control the grail, supporting six Servants at once, she was simply astounding.

"It's nothing Caster, I just wanted to see if there was someone I could have play with Jeanne-chan for a bit."

"Eh?"

* * *

"Finally, it is complete! I must show this to Master!"

Shakespeare said to himself, getting up from his desk as he went to find Shirou to show him his latest work. Surely his Master would appreciate a short story from the ever great writer that was himself wouldn't he? Yes, there was no doubt to it!

Today was a glorious day for him!

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

And so ends CH28. Please note that this is going to be the last chapter until next Extra Act is posted. Meaning no new chapters until after Aug 30-31. After that, it's back to business as usual for me. So anyway, onto some things regarding the chapter.

First off, the dream with Enkidu. I'm just going to make it clear here. Enkidu is female in my fic. Well, technically speaking Enkidu's made of clay and has no gender by default. But he identifies as female in my verse because why not? Because I honestly couldn't resist due to Sensha Otoko putting the idea in my head. Since I've always viewed Proto-Gilgamesh as something of a delinquent compared to FSN-Gil, I wanted an Enkidu who complimented that view and a friendlier more upbeat character, as seen in the flashback however little was shown, is what ended up being the result.

That and I don't think I could have done justice to the canon version of Enkidu's character either, so yeah XP

Second, the bit with Sieg's training. To be honest something like that was supposed to be shown in the chapter 26 but I completely forgot about it due the thing with Arthur and Mordred. I may edit said chapter to include something like that or just have it be mentioned in the future for the sake of the narrative since I feel like it should have happened earlier but didn't due to my forgetting it.

Third, Jeanne. I don't really know how well I'm handling Jeanne's character to begin with. Since she was chaste in life, I always found it interesting to see what would happen if she were to fall in love with someone. In canon, that happened with Sieg which didn't really work well in my eyes as well as others due to a number of issues. So I tried doing the same only with Arthur. To which I ask am I doing alright in that aspect? Please be gentle XD

* * *

 _ **Guest Reviewer Section:**_

 **Guest 1:** No, Pandora's Box has nothing to do with this story.

 **Derek:** Yeah, I do plan on expanding on Siegfried more. Him along with some of the others as well. Just hadn't had the proper time to do it.

 **Thunder Dragon:** No, I do not take requests nor would I even consider posting said challenge on my profile. I've seen you all over the place and to be honest you and Kaiser Dragon are really annoying. Sorry for being rude but it's honestly the truth. If you really want something done, do it yourself. Don't make excuse that you can't.

 **Pluto III:** Dude, just where have you been this entire time? Did you miss what I said in my CH15 Author's Notes about the Alters? XD And regardless of whether not Arthur-Alter has been released, I'll still use a version of him even if it means coming up with how his abilities would work in contrast to his regular self.

 **Guest 2:** No comment on EMIYA because I haven't even begun writing FLR yet to make a proper statement.

 **Guest 3:** I do read Shoujo Manga from time to time (Blame my sister for that XP) but honestly even with that it's another thing entirely to be able to put it into practice what I've learned from it into my stories.

 **Garrick:** I don't know why you think you're being rude. And no, I didn't actually plan on that and I only know the basics of some Greek heroes and the like. Also, did any of you realize that each faction has a member of the Argonaut Expedition with them and as well as a student of Chiron? That was completely accidental on my part as I only realized it by the time of Act 2.

 **Guest 4:** No comment. I won't be spoiling of what may or may not happen. It literally depends on where the story goes for me. I don't really plan things out aside from a few stuff, but for the most part I write by the edge of my seat. So I can't really answer your question.

* * *

That's it for now. Please review :D

Speaking of which, FMB just made a new record of having twenty reviews one chapter alone last time. That kinda brings a smile to my face :D


	30. Bonus Act II

_**AN:**_ Happy Anniversary! Fate/Magnus Bellum is now officially two years old. I feel like an old man watching his kid grow XD

Anyway, hope you all enjoy :D

* * *

 _ **Side Act I:**_

 _ **Dracula's Niece**_

* * *

"Elizabeth Bathory."

"Geh!"

Elizabeth jerked in response to her name being called out. Normally she wouldn't but when the person calling for her, but...

"W-Why hello there Lancer~ What can I do for you~?"

When that person happened to be Vlad the Impaler then one would definitely be bothered.

The moment she turned around, she came face-to-face with the former eyeing her with a rather intense stare. She could only twiddle her fingers in nervousness, unable to get a word out. Given her history, she would be the first to admit that she wasn't the nicest of people and so was Lancer. However, the one thing separating the two was the fact that she was an outright villain in her life whereas the latter was a hero of Romania even despite of his reputation in other places around the world.

Not only that but Vlad III was a believer of Christianity. A religion that would condemn her for everything she did.

Knowing this, a part of her was afraid that Lancer would try to kill her for her past actions. Hey, allies or not, she was a dealing with a man known as the Impaler after all!

"I've heard from the others that you've been rather difficult as of late. Is that true?"

"A-Aah, that's...!"

Elizabeth nervously began, stuttering as she spoke. Damn it all, did the pig speak!? Alright, she'll be the first to admit that she wasn't acting like a Servant should but that didn't mean what's his name had to bring Lancer into this!

"Elizabeth..." Vlad began in a low tone.

"A-Alright! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"

"Who said anything about me killing you? And I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Vlad shook his head with a sigh. "Your Master suffered a broken arm after you latest spat. Swinging your tail into him... Just what in blazes were you thinking? You're quite lucky that Caster knows of healing arts. She has already fixed most of the damage and young Caules should be ready for when the Holy Grail War finally commences."

"T-That was an accident mind you! He pulled on my tail and so my body reacted. So it's not my fault at all!"

"Fool, do you think I wouldn't know?" Vlad nearly shouted at Elizabeth, causing the former to freeze up in fear. "Archer had told me about what happened. He said that you intentionally slammed your Master into a wall!"

"I-I really didn't mean it! Please stop glaring at me...!"

Hearing her words, the former simply sighed once more, pinching his brow as he tried to calm himself down. Shouting at the girl in front of him wouldn't do any good.

"Tell me Elizabeth, just why exactly did the two of you get into a fight?" He decided to ask.

"Well, it's because..."

"What?"

The Sovereign of Wallachia asked, unable to hear the murmurs spoken by the girl.

"It's because..."

"Speak up child, I know that your voice is louder than this."

"IT'S BECAUSE HE MOCKED MY SINGING ALRIGHT!?"

Elizabeth shouted, her voice echoing throughout the hallway that she and Lancer stood in. Breaking apart various windows and glass ornaments with a wave of sound in the process. Any normal person would have already gone deaf with such a loud shout.

However, Vlad simply ignored it. Merely smirking at what just occurred.

"Hmph, so that's it?"

"Don't that's it me! My Master or not, no one gets away with mocking my singing!" Elizabeth declared, crossing her arms as she turned her head away in a huff. "That pig had some nerve saying what he did to me. Who does he think he is!?"

"Hoh? Then pray tell what did Caules say to you?"

"He said that it needed work... Why?"

"Did it sound like he was mocking you?"

Vlad asked once more, with Elizabeth pausing for a moment to consider said his words

"Ugh, now that I think about it... I don't think so?"

"You fool..."

"W-Who's a fool...!?"

"Idiot, who else!?" Vlad stated with a firm tone, causing Elizabeth to shrink back in fear once more. "Overreacting over such a simple matter... This type of behavior is simply unacceptable even from the likes of you."

"W-What are you going to do about it?"

"First you shall go and apologize to your Master." The former replied. "You do feel remorseful about what happened don't you?"

"L-Like I said, I didn't really mean to do it... It just happened I guess." Elizabeth replied, twiddling her fingers in uncharacteristic shyness.

"Then if that's the case, go and apologize to your Master. Afterwards, come find me in the northern tower."

"Huh? But why?"

"You reacted badly to your Master's criticism earlier because you thought he said your singing was bad, which in turn tells me that a part of you actually does believe it but will not admit to it. Am I right?"

"Ugh..." Elizabeth groaned in response, knowing that Lancer had hit a mark just then. As much as she hated to admit it, a part of her did think that way.

"It seems that I am correct then." Vlad said, smirking somewhat. "Very well, to help allay your dislike of being criticized, I shall be the audience to your singing from now on."

"Hah?"

Elizabeth asked, mouth agape at what she just heard. Were her ears filled with too much dirt or something?

"You seemed shocked."

"O-Of course I am! What do you mean by audience!? How is that supposed to help me at all!?"

If anything, Lancer suddenly becoming her audience made her all the more nervous!

"Simple. If I'm the one critiquing your work, then you wouldn't be able to attack me out of anger wouldn't you?" Vlad replied with a simple smile on his face, placing a hand over the former's shoulder while walking past her. "Now then, get going and find your Master. I shall be waiting."

With that, the Sovereign of Wallachia left. Leaving Elizabeth by herself as she dropped to the floor with both hands on the ground.

"I'm dead..."

* * *

"Hehe, that was a rather generous thing for you to do Lancer."

Chiron commented, standing beside Vlad as the two men stood outside on a balcony overlooking the city of Trifas below.

"Do you wish to say something Archer?"

"I'm simply surprised I suppose. I didn't think that you would do something like that for Berserker. Pardon me for saying this, but it feels like you're doting on her."

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Aside from myself, my Master, and Rider, the others have had nothing but complaints regarding her behavior. Yet I've never truly heard one from you in comparison. Rather, you're always rather calm when dealing with her. Might I ask why?"

"I simply realized that being mad at her wouldn't do any good." Vlad replied, hands held together behind his back as he took in the sight before him. "Elizabeth Bathory is a child at heart, one who seeks attention from others. She doesn't need anger directed her way for that would only make her even more rebellious than she already is."

"Does her past not bother you? Nor her lack of regret to it?"

"Who am I to judge someone because of their past?" The Sovereign of Wallachia replied once more. "What matters the most is what Elizabeth intends to do with herself in the present, and I do not intend on letting her fall into the same type of depravity that led to her becoming the Bloody Countess of Hungary. She's found herself a purpose in this life with her passion for singing, and so I intend to do what I can to help her with that."

"Spoken like a true hero Lancer." Chiron simply smiled in response. "I doubt that many would try to do what you're doing for her. You have admiration."

"I'm no hero. I'm simply a man of God doing what I can to help guide another onto a proper path."

Vlad stated, turning to leave as the former simply followed soon afterwards.

Only a few days more before the Holy Grail War would commence. Best to ready themselves soon...

* * *

 _ **Side Act II:**_

 _ **Elsa and Ayaka**_

* * *

"So it's all finally over... isn't it?"

A young woman muttered to herself, standing atop a rooftop of a hotel overlooking the region. Looking towards the distance as the sun rose over the horizon.

Last night had been rather eventful. An explosion had taken place near the mountain areas of the region. The military had quickly scrambled and panicked had gripped the people as many feared that the Allies had launched a surprise attack of them. The commotion died down when it was apparent that what happened was a stand alone incident rather than actual attack as many had feared, though were none were able to pinpoint the exact cause of it.

However, she knew the likely cause of the explosion.

 _'It's very likely that was Saber's doing...'_

She mused, having seen the type of devastation the blonde-haired knight in silver could do once he unleashed the Noble Phantasm he had in his hands. It was a holy sword like no other, perhaps even the greatest holy sword in existence.

The one and only Excalibur...

Knowing that, it was quite clear that Saber's true identity was none other than...

"King Arthur..."

She muttered with barely a whisper of her breath, wondering to herself as to what could have made Saber to utilize his Noble Phantasm like that. She had only seen one instance of it being used, and that was when...

"..."

The young woman paused for a moment, placing a hand over her heart as it tightened. Tears starting to form from the corners of her eyes...

 _"Archer, by the power of my Command Spell, I order you to use your Noble Phantasm!"_

She spoke those words didn't she? Perhaps, if she didn't, then-

"No..."

The young woman quietly spoke to herself as she shook her head.

 _'Archer wouldn't want me to mope around about it... It was his choice too after all.'_

The Battle of Tokyo Bay... It was during that time that they had to go up against Rider, who himself was an incredibly powerful Servant. In an attempt to take down all of the remaining Masters at once, the latter was planning on burning down the entirety of Tokyo just to do it.

The Servants had banded together to stop him, and it was a fierce battle indeed. Five Servants going up against a single one... It was the first time such an occurrence had happened in the history of the Holy Grail War. At least as far as she knew at the time.

In the end, it came down to both Saber and Archer to take Rider down. Both utilized their Noble Phantasms at the same time in order to do so.

However, Archer's Noble Phantasm came at a price, and that was none other than his own life.

 _"Sorry Elsa, looks like I won't be around to help you out anymore..."_

Such were the last words that Archer spoke to her through their link as Master and Servant. Even though it meant that he would die without obtaining the grail, Archer didn't mind sacrificing himself if it was meant for the sake of others, it was one of the things she liked about him.

Still, she could only weep at his loss. In the short time they were together, he had become a close friend of hers already. She knew that it would be the case once the war was finished, but still... She would have wanted to finish it with him until the end.

"Hah..."

Elsa sighed to herself, looking up at the sky while wiping away the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you Archer, for everything..."

A simple farewell was all she could say at this point. She knew that it wouldn't reach him, but she felt that saying it was only fair.

And with what happened last night, she also knew that by then the Holy Grail War was already over. Elsa didn't actually knew if any of the Servants still lived, but her gut feeling told her otherwise. Perhaps it was woman's intuition?

"Saijou-san!"

"Huh?"

Turning around, Elsa found herself staring at one of the staff members of the hotel she was staying at.

"Yes? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Please come down stairs, there's an... Well, you have a guest I suppose."

"A guest?"

* * *

"Ah, you're...!"

Elsa muttered in blank amazement, staring at the little girl in front of her who was fidgeting nervously.

"G-Good morning..."

The girl greeted, bowing before going right back to what she was doing just then. Elsa could only nod back out of courtesy, staring at the girl still in shock.

"This girl's name is Sajyou Ayaka. She arrived here just this early morning."

"Yes, I know of her."

How could she not know about the girl? She had met her father once before, and her sister was the Master of Saber, and their families were distantly related to each other as well. Though she didn't personally know much about them herself as she was something of an outsider.

"Really? Because we were confused since the person who brought her here was asking for a woman named Tohsaka Elsa. Given that your name is also Elsa, we thought that perhaps-"

"Saijou is my birth family's name. Tohsaka is the name that belongs to my husband's lineage. I just tend to use Saijou when I'm on business." The young woman explained as the staff member nodded in understanding. "At any rate, where's the person who brought this girl here? May I speak with them?"

"Unfortunately she left before we could get anything from her. All she said was to take care of the girl when wakes up."

"Did she now?"

Elsa repeated to herself in thought. It sounded rather suspicious. Just who could it have been?

No, that wasn't important right now. What mattered was dealing with the girl in front of her. Who at the moment was still fidgeting nervously as the adults around her kept talking much to her confusion of her own situation. Elsa didn't really know what to do herself.

Still, the girl in front of her looked to be incredibly troubled. Regardless of who she was and whatever grudges she had against her sister as a result of the Holy Grail War's events, as an adult it was her duty to help the poor thing out.

Not only that, but looking at the girl...

 _'She's probably around Luca's age right now...'_

For a moment, Elsa smiled bitterly to herself. Perhaps had she-No, there was no point in dwelling on that either. She needed to focus on what was in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, the young woman readied herself as she knelt in front of Ayaka while smiling sweetly at her.

"It's alright Ayaka-chan." She spoke softly, trying to ease the young girl's nerves. "My name is Elsa. Can you tell me why you're here?"

"I-I don't know..." Ayaka replied, still nervous. "The last thing I remember is... Papa was... Onee-chan and me were-Agh!"

"Ah! What's wrong!?"

The young girl held her head in pain as the adults around her panicked at the sight. Elsa most especially as she held Ayaka close, trying to soothe the latter as much as she can. From the looks of it, it was working as the girl started to calm down.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I am... my head just started to hurt all of a sudden." Ayaka replied, looking down sadly. "I-I can't remember anything either..."

"You can't remember anything? Nothing at all?"

"I can't. I can remember Papa and Onee-chan, but I can't remember anything else..."

"Shh, it's alright. Calm down okay?"

Elsa smiled as she once more soothed the young girl in her arms. Could it be amnesia? It wasn't that far fetched a reason. Having traveled around the world, Elsa had seen many similar cases to what Ayaka was displaying just then. Just what could have caused it?

She mentioned her father and sister... Did something happen to them? It was within reason to suspect it. The explosion last night wasn't something a mere bomb could achieve as far as she knew, only a Servant could achieve that level of power. Saber happened to fit the bill, and his Master was very likely with him when it happened.

If so, did that mean the girl was now an orphan?

"Ayaka-chan, do you have any relatives that we can call for?"

"No... it's just me, Papa, and Onee-chan. Mama died a long time ago too."

"I see..."

Elsa pursed her lips, feeling sympathy for the girl at the lost of her mother. And given the nature of the Holy Grail War, there was a chance that her father was dead in addition to the possible death of her sister. It was still too early to tell, but the possibility was high especially given what happened last night.

Knowing that, it made it all the more harder to tell Ayaka about it. There was no telling how hard she was going to take it, and she wasn't about to let a child cry.

With that, a thought came to the young woman as she smiled at the girl in her arms.

"Then if that's the case, do you want to stay with me for now?" She asked.

"Huh?" Ayaka looked up, somewhat confused. "What did you say...?"

"I said how about you stay with me for now?" Elsa once more asked, smiling as wide as she could in order to help relax the girl. "Until we find out about what happened with your father and sister, how about you live with me?"

"B-But Papa said to never talk to strangers..."

"Oh? But I'm not a stranger am I?"

"You're not?"

"Yes!" Elsa nodded, patting Ayaka on the head. "The truth is, in a way I am actually your Aunt. My family and your family are distantly related. Do you understand? That means I'm not a stranger but family."

"Family...?"

The young girl's eyes brightened as she repeated said word. Elsa knew from that alone that she was getting through to her. What she was saying wasn't exactly a lie either. She was technically related to Ayaka through her marriage with her husband.

A part of her was hesitant about taking care of a child again. After what happened with Luca, she wasn't sure of it. The pain was still too fresh in her mind...

However, seeing the girl before her, a part of her was compelled to aid Ayaka. She couldn't call herself a proper parent if she didn't do something to help out a child in need.

As for Ayaka herself, she paused for a moment thinking on what the woman before her had said. Was it really true? Were they really related? She didn't really know who she was, but a part of her did feel safe being held by Elsa.

It was like having her mother around again, Elsa gave off the same feeling for some reason.

With that...

"T-Then can I really stay with you...?"

The girl asked as she suddenly sprung up, as though life had been poured into her all of a sudden. She went from sullen to somewhat cheerful within that split second. Elsa could only smile at the sight of this. Children often were easy to please with just the right words.

"Well so long as you don't mind yourself, I don't mind either. At least until we can find out what happened to your father and sister." Elsa repeated once more as she stood up from bent herself forward while extending a hand towards the young girl. "What do you say then?"

"Y-Yes!"

Ayaka replied, taking the former's hand into her own.

* * *

Two years had passed since then...

Months after the Holy Grail War in Tokyo, both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed with what were now called Nuclear Weapons by the US Military Forces. With that, Japan had raised their flags in surrender towards the United States. Signifying the end of their participation in World War II. Not long after that, Germany would surrender as well resulting in the war being won by the Allied Forces.

For Elsa, she supposed that such a thing was inevitable. The United States was like a sleeping dragon. It was large and big, with various resources at their disposal. The moment Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, their fate had been sealed. She didn't particularly care which side was in the right and who wasn't, that was for the historians to debate. For now, she was just glad that it was all over. Having lived through two wars, with one taking place in the middle of another, she's had more than enough of it.

At the moment, she was just content on contemplating on the future of her family.

"Mama!"

The redhead smiled to herself when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her neck.

Turning her head, she saw Ayaka standing behind her with a bright smile on her face.

"What are you doing~?"

"Oh nothing dear, I'm just writing something in my journal."

"What's it about~?"

"That's a secret~!" Elsa replied as she closed the book before the girl could take a peek.

"Ehh~?"

Ayaka moaned in annoyance. The former simply giggled at this as she held the girl close while nuzzling her much to the former's delight.

Within those two years, Elsa had discovered that the Ayaka's father and sister had indeed perished during the Holy Grail War. Given how powerful a Servant Saber was, she had to wonder to herself as to what could have possibly resulted in _that girl's_ death. She supposed that it didn't matter.

As a result, given Ayaka's situation, she also ended up adopting the girl herself. With no family left that the girl could turn to, Elsa was the only person that could cater to Ayaka's needs, especially as she was a budding magus.

And more than anyone else, she understood her pain. Both of them lost their families... Perhaps that was why she and Ayaka got along so well?

 _'Still, to think she used to be so depressed back then...'_

Elsa remembered the girl would sometimes cry for days on without end. She was amazed that Ayaka had already recovered so well, becoming the cheerful girl she was now in contrast to how she was back then on the day they met.

After the Holy Grail War, Elsa had also become the head of the Tohsaka family. With both her husband and child having perished before it, that left the Tohsaka without an heir. Fortunately, with Ayaka being a blood relative as a member of the Sajyou, the magic crest could be passed onto her. She had already ran tests and found that there would be no issue in transferring it to the young girl.

For now though, Elsa refrained from doing it. She was just happy letting Ayaka live a joyful life for now. After what happened two years ago, she deserved it.

Done were the two of the with the Holy Grail War. She heard rumors of someone planning on starting it up once more, but that's no longer the responsibility of the Tohsaka. If the family was to truly survive, she needed to steer into a different direction. One that diverged from the path of the Holy Grail War.

 _'Speaking of paths...'_

Elsa had contemplated on moving somewhere else. Tokyo was filled with many sorrowful memories for both her and Ayaka.

Perhaps some place quiet like Fuyuki City? The Tohsaka also had claim to the land there after all. She even already had plans to sell the Tohsaka Estate in Tokyo.

At the moment she and Ayaka were even living at the Sajyou Estate as the preparations were made. And since Ayaka was still young, the deed to her family's household had been passed into her hands since she was the girl's adopted mother. Since it was the home that the former had grown up in for the past eight years, Elsa had decided against selling it as well. That decision belonged to Ayaka alone once she was old enough to decide.

And since that decision was years away, she supposed that there was no point on dwelling on it.

All her focus should be on her daughter. That was the most important thing to her right now.

...!

"Hmm?"

Elsa paused for a moment as her nose caught onto something, beginning to sniff around before focusing on Ayaka herself as she frowned at the latter.

"Ayaka, you haven't taken your bath yet have you?"

"Um... I forgot~?"

The girl replied somewhat apologetically. Elsa merely sighed at this. It was always in the mornings did the girl sometimes forget to bathe.

A thought came to her mind as the redhead smiled.

"Then if that's the case, since I haven't taken a bath myself yet, how about we take one together then?"

"Really? Yay!"

Elsa smiled as she stood up from her desk walked hand in hand with Ayaka. This was the likely reason she didn't take a bath in the first place. Not that she minded, she liked spending time with the girl. After what happened with her family, she didn't think she'd experience this type of happiness again.

 _'Now that I think about it, today's the day she and I are going to get our picture taken. After that, maybe she and I should go to the park to play?'_

Well, no rush she supposed. They had a long day ahead of them after all.

* * *

 _ **Side Act II:**_

 _ **The Witch Of Camelot**_

* * *

"Right then, do you understand?"

"Yes your majesty, at once!"

Arthur nodded in response as the two knights in front of him quickly left the audience room, heading off to perform their duties while leaving the former by himself.

Once he was alone however, the young man sighed heavily as leaned back on his throne, massaging his forehead while groaning somewhat.

 _'That's another meeting down I suppose...'_

"Now I don't think that's appropriate behavior for a King don't you agree?"

A voice called out to him, somewhat startling the young man as he turned his attention towards the source.

Turning his gaze, he saw Guinevere standing beside him with a smile on her face.

"My apologies, I didn't realize you were there."

"Perhaps you would have if not for the fact that you're running a high fever." The latter pointed out, walking over to her husband with a frown while placing a hand over his forehead. She sighed once she felt the heat. "I knew it, it hasn't gone down at all."

Arthur merely sighed at this himself. Thanks to an incident caused by Kay and Merlin, he ended up the way he currently was as a result.

"Arthur, I know that you have your duties to attend to, but I do implore that you at least take some time off for yourself in order to recover. You being ill is a favor to no one aside from our kingdom's enemies."

"I know that, but if I don't at least do this then I feel I'm showing weakness."

Arthur replied, trying to sit up only for Guinevere to stand in front of him as she pushed him back down.

"It's not a sign of weakness for one to try and recover from what ails them."

The latter stated, sighing at her husband as she shook her head.

Perhaps she should have expected this. Though he didn't mind others relying on him, especially once he took to the throne, Arthur was never one who wanted to rely too much on others himself. The hypocrisy of such a thing was not lost on her, but she started to believe that it was on him.

"Listen Arthur, as your Queen it's my duty to support you in ruling the kingdom, but I cannot do that if you allow yourself to be run ragged like this." Guinevere stated as she knelt beside her husband. "Please, just let me handle everything for now. Who do you think taught you about governing in the first place?"

"I suppose you do have a point there..."

Arthur groaned somewhat. Though he was taught about governing and the like by both his father and Merlin, trying to apply what he learned from them was somewhat harder than he expected it to be. It turned out there were still things he needed to know. Luckily for him however, Guinevere was just the teacher he needed. She was the daughter of another king after all, so she knew what to expect from a court of royal intrigue. Better than he, one who was raised somewhere far from it.

"Very well then, I'll do as you say." He resigned, knowing there was no winning against his wife's words. "But, if there's anything going on that needs my full attention then do not hesitate to call on me alright?"

"I know. And thank you for listening~"

Guinevere smiled in relief, leaning down as she planted a kiss on her husband's cheek. Embarrassing the young man somewhat at the sudden show of affection, something that the former took joy in. It was a rare sight to see the normally calm and composed Arthur flustered the way he was.

"By the way, where is Lucius?"

Arthur asked, trying to change the subject. He hadn't seen his son all day. He was starting to feel bad, as together with that he hadn't been spending much time with the boy lately thanks to his duties. He supposed that it was only natural, but it wasn't fair to his son either way.

"With Bedivere. I believe that they're in the garden as we speak."

"In that case, perhaps I should go see him." The former stated, standing up.

"Oh no you don't. He'll want to play with you, and knowing you, you'll agree to it even despite your condition." Guinevere said, quickly stopping her husband from going anywhere. "Just go ahead and take some time for yourself in our room. I'll bring Lucius to you later once you're feeling better."

"But-"

"No arguments!"

"Ugh..."

* * *

"What? His highness is sick?"

"Yes Agravain, Arthur apologizes for the inconvenience."

Guinevere replied to Agravain, the black-armored knight being somewhat surprised by the revelation.

"I see, then I suppose there's no helping it. I'll inform the others of this. For now I suppose we shall be reporting to you my Queen."

"Yes, but only for a short time. Once Arthur rests, he'll recover in no time at all."

"Let us hope he does. It does not bode well when the King is not there to govern us."

The black-armored knight stated in reply as he left. Staring at his back as he did so, Guinevere couldn't help but sigh to herself.

Agravain's words just now... Perhaps she was looking into it too deeply, but it felt as though it was somehow directed at her as an insult. She knew that the former had difficulties with women for some reason, so it wasn't that far fetched a guess.

 _'No, I shouldn't think of such ill things...'_

She thought to herself. It was just that she always felt so nervous while the black-armored knight was around, a sentiment which was shared by others she knew.

Ever since the day he first arrived, Agravain had quickly made a name for himself as the most stoic member among the Knights of the Round Table. He was a dutiful knight through and through, yet he was so indifferent to the people around him.

It was like talking to a statue she supposed. Barely anything affected Agravain, whether it be the news of a comrade having died in combat, it wouldn't have affected his way of carrying out his duties. In a way, it reminded her of Arthur a little. Her husband was a man of honor, one who abides by the law. No matter his personal feelings, he would see to it that everyone, even some of their enemies, would be treated fair and justly.

Perhaps that's why her husband allowed Agravain to join the Round Table? Because both were somewhat similar to each other?

"Hahaha~!"

The young woman was snapped out of her thoughts when all of a sudden a child's laughter could be heard echoing throughout the castle halls. She quickly knew who it belonged to, as it was a sound she had become all too familiar with in the pass few years.

Noting that the source of the laughter came from behind her, Guinevere turned around to see-

"Mother~!"

A young boy leaped into her arms, hugging her tightly as the young woman smiled in response as she stroked the boy's head.

"Hehe, hello there Lucius."

Her and Arthur's pride and joy, born to them a little over four years ago. Lucius had taken after his father greatly, looking very much like a younger version of Arthur only he had her hair color instead. He was a true blessing for the both of them.

"Were you looking for me?" She asked.

"Hm! It's been so _boring_ just studying all the time! Can you play with me? Please~?"

He asked. No, rather Lucius begged with a hopeful tone in his voice. Guinevere merely giggled at this. Lucius was a very cheerful child in comparison to his parents, always wanting to spend time with either her or Arthur. Though she still had other duties to attend to, a part of her wanted to cater to her son's wish. Knowing this, she sometimes wondered to herself if they were spoiling him too much.

But that couldn't be helped could it? What parent wouldn't want to spoil their child?

"Milady."

Guinevere looked up, seeing Bedivere walk up to the two of them with a formal bow to the former. One she simply returned with a nod.

"My apologies for troubling you with him Bedivere."

"No, it was my pleasure to look after the prince." The knight replied with a smile. "So young, yet he's taking his lessons quite seriously."

"Really? Is that true Lucius?" Guinevere asked, looking at her son.

"Yes! It might boring to me, but I want to make you and father proud one day. So I'm doing my best!"

"Hehe, your father and I are already quite proud of you."

Guinevere replied, wrapping her arms around her son's neck as she stood behind him. Most children that were around Lucius' age would prefer to play rather than study, and even her son was no different in that regard. Still, the fact that he was taking his studies seriously was a boon. She could see him having a good future ahead of him if he continued to do so. Perhaps once he took the throne, he could take the country to a future that not even his father could?

Aah, but perhaps she was thinking too far ahead. For now, all that mattered was the present. Lucius was still a child after all.

"Still, you're being a good boy by studying so hard. Because of that, we can play with each other for a while."

"Really? Yay~!"

Lucius turned around and once more hugged his mother tightly around the waist. One that the latter happily returned. She supposed there was no harm in playing around for a while if it meant spending time with Lucius. At the moment there wasn't anything happening after all.

"Quite a bond you two have if you don't mind me saying my Queen." Bedivere commented, grinning at the sight of mother and son. "At any rate your highness, I now must take my leave. Sir Gawain and myself have been tasked with clearing a forest of monsters that have been plaguing it recently."

"Very well then, I can handle Lucius from here. Take care of yourself Bedivere."

Bedivere nodded, and with that the one-armed knight left the area.

"Now then, what shall we play?"

Guinevere stated, looking towards her son only to realize that Lucius had disappeared from her sights. Surprised by this, she quickly looked around and saw that he was standing a fair distance behind her.

"Catch me if you can~!"

With that, the young boy ran in the opposite direction. Guinevere merely sighed at this, he just had to pick that one didn't he? And she was wearing a dress too, making it hard for her to run. She had a feeling that it was the reason he decided to do so.

"That boy..."

She shook her head, smiling as she went after her son.

* * *

"Now where did he go?"

The young queen muttered to herself, walking about the castle as she searched for her son. Thanks to how quick he was Guinevere had lost sight of him upon turning the corner. With that said, she knew he was close by. She could feel it, perhaps due to mother's intuition.

"Lucius! Where are you~?"

She called out, hoping that the boy would respond. Just where could he be?

Turning another corner, Guinevere smiled as she saw her son's back turned to her. She called out to him.

"So this where you-Huh!?"

"Hmm? Mother?"

The boy turned around, facing his mother and turning his attention away from the woman who stood in front of him. One with long blonde hair light in shade. A woman whom Guinevere was quite familiar with and was shocked to see standing in front of her son.

"Oh? Guinevere is it? Why do you look so surprised?"

"Morgan...!"

The young queen stated, frowning slightly as she walked over to the two.

Morgan Le-Fay... otherwise known as Morgana Pendragon to some. The daughter of the late King Uther and Arthur's older half-sister. Once a proper princess, she would go on to become an incredibly powerful witch that rivaled even the likes of Merlin.

After Arthur had been chosen by the Sword in the Stone, Morgan quickly came to denounce her brother's existence. Unable to accept the fact that her father had cheated on her mother with another, siring a bastard child in the process. Battles between those loyal to the princess and those loyal to the newly discovered prince at the time took place, and it all ended in her husband's victory.

Despite this, though she was a threat to his rule, Arthur had chosen to spare his older sister from death. Not wanting to stain his hands with the blood of his own family, he instead opted to send her away and live someplace else far away from Camelot.

Guinevere had been against this decision, for she knew how deep a hatred a woman would have for those whom she believed have wronged her. Even now years later she still believed it. Regardless of what she thought however, Morgan's fate had already been decided. As queen, she could only support her husband's decision and prayed that his sparing of Morgan wouldn't prove to be a mistake in the long run.

Knowing that being riled up would do her no good, the former took a deep breath and spoke in a calm tone.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hmm? Do I need a reason to finally see my nephew?" Morgan smiled somewhat, leaning down to ruffle Lucius' hair slightly much to the latter's annoyance. "He's such an adorable little boy, you and my brother are quite blessed~"

"Do not lie to me, I know that you're not here for something so simple as that."

"Hmph, I take it you're still rather sour about what happened four years ago?" The blonde-haired woman spoke, her smile turning into a smirk. "I suggest that you move on from that my dear sister-in-law, otherwise the wrinkles on your face are going become permanent with all the glaring you've been doing so far."

"Wait what...!?"

Guinevere paused for a moment in panic, her hands on her face as she inspected herself for any wrinkles before quickly realizing what she was doing.

At this, she frowned at Morgan once more. The latter of whom was giggling in amusement at the former's reaction.

"Do not mock me." She simply said.

"Yes, yes, I understand." Morgan replied halfheartedly with a wave of her hand. "At any rate, if you're truly so curious as to know why I'm here, it just so happens that my dear brother had invited me. Didn't he tell you?"

"Wait, Arthur did what...!?"

"Hmm? What's this? So he truly _didn't_ tell you then?" Morgan smirked once more. "For him to not mention such a thing to you, his own queen no less, could it be that the two of you are starting to grow apart now? Well I don't blame him, who would want a sheltered princess for a bride? Your kind is only good for breeding children and sealing alliances between kingdoms after all~"

"Insult me as you wish, I have no intention of stooping to your level."

The young queen replied with a cool look on her face. Though inwardly, she was incredibly angered by the insults directed her way.

"Oh you're no fun." Morgan pursed her lips in annoyance at her sister-in-law's firm stance. "Ah well, I suppose I should just tell you. With the Roman Empire looming at our borders, Arthur reached out to me and suggested for the both of us to form an alliance."

"I see..."

Guinevere nodded in understanding. It was a decision that made sense to her. Regardless of how powerful her husband, the Knights of the Round Table, and their forces were, the Holy Roman Empire was a monstrosity in itself with the amount of territories and resources it had. At its helm was a man known as Lucius Tiberius, the current Emperor of Rome and a skilled military leader and warrior. Known as the Sword Emperor; he commanded legions of men nearing the thousands.

At the moment no true conflict had begun between Britain and Rome, though a few skirmishes had already occurred. Still, it was only a matter of time before the Empire decided to finally invade their lands. The true question was when? Would it be tomorrow? A week from now? Perhaps maybe a year?

Not knowing the answer, it was best prepare as much as they could before that time.

 _'Still, to consider going to Morgan for aid...'_

It made sense, Morgan was a powerful witch who still held command over a sizable army herself. Those who were still loyal to the true "proper heir" of Uther as it were. She personally had nothing against Morgan herself, but considering her disdain for her Arthur...

"So you _are_ willing to ally with us?" She decided to ask.

"If need be, then yes. Tiberius will eventually invade one day and I'm not inclined to let such a thing happen." Morgan replied before smirking. "Still, if I could I would much rather pay Arthur back for the humiliation he gave me five years ago. The thought of allying with him simply disgusts me."

"I see, so you truly haven't let go of-"

...!

"Ah!"

Morgan quickly closed the distance between herself and Guinevere much to the latter's surprise, grabbing her by the hand and squeezing on it. Glaring at her with such intensity that it visibly made the young queen sweat. As she did so, the blonde-haired witch then spoke.

"Let go of what? Do _not_ assume what I can and cannot let go. That man is a stain on my honor, on my mother's honor. He took away my birthright. Him, a bastard no less! He then had the gall to humiliate me in front of my own people! And instead of granting me the sweet sensation of death, he instead punishes me with life...! There are no words for how I feel! Don't you _DARE_ tell me to simply let it go!"

...!

"Agh...!"

By this point Guinevere was wincing in pain. The more Morgan had went on with her rant, the more power the witch was releasing through her sheer presence. An incredibly amount of heat emanated from her, like she was about to release a flame ready to burn down the castle.

"L-Leave my mother alone...!"

Despite this, Lucius, who up until this point had been confused by the exchange between his mother and the strange woman calling herself his aunt, quickly stepped in and got in between Guinevere and Morgan after seeing his mother in pain.

"L-Lucius!?"

"Oh? What a brave little boy you are. Are you quite sure about this child? Do you realize what it means to stand before me?"

Morgan asked, somewhat impressed with her nephew upon seeing what he just did.

"I-I don't know what's going on... but I know that you're hurting my mother. So please stop it!"

Gazing into his eyes, Morgan noted that determined look that her nephew had. Something that she could only smile in amusement at.

"That's quite enough, Morgan."

A voice called out from behind the blonde-haired witch, the latter turning her head just in time to see a hooded figure appearing beside her with the tip of a wooden staff aimed for her neck much to Morgan's surprise at how she failed to notice someone approaching them.

There was only person she knew who could perform such a feat.

And that was none other than...

"Aunt Merlin~!" Lucius called out, relieved at the appearance of the former as she took off her hood.

Yes, Merlin. The Court Magus of Camelot and mentor to her brother. Once she was Morgan's own mentor years ago before Merlin's disappearance after her father's death. To her surprise and anger, she later reappeared supporting that _bastard child_ of all people.

"Heh, it's been a while Merlin. As always, for a hag you look as beautiful as ever~" Morgan greeted, a wicked smile on her face.

"Oh? Call me a hag once more and this amazing older sister shall give you a spanking~" Merlin merely smiled back in response, an aura of anger now surrounding the white-haired woman. "Now would you be so kind as to let go of the young lady? Otherwise you shall be met with action from the great Merlin herself."

"Hmph, referring to yourself in third person. Are you a child?"

Morgan scoffed, releasing her hold on Guinevere as was told. The latter quickly stepping back from the former as she pulled her Lucius along with her.

"Only when I'm dealing with you of course~" Merlin replied, looking over her former pupil with a glint in her eyes. "And as impressive as your growth has been over the years, I feel inclined to say that you will _never_ reach my level of beauty of course~"

"Mock me will you...?"

The blonde stated, smirking somewhat in anger as she glared at Merlin. But before anything could be said however, Morgan quickly calmed herself down. She was here on business. She might as well conclude it already so that she can leave.

"I suppose I must apologize then. Here I am, a guest at another's castle, acting out as I did." She stated halfheartedly.

"Well with that ill-temper it's not surprising~"

Merlin snidely remarked as the former glared at her. Ignoring the urge to talk back to her former mentor, she spoke.

"Tell me, where is my dear brother? That fool sent for me yet I cannot find him at all. I'd rather conclude my business with him already so that I might leave."

"H-He's sick. He came down with a high fever unfortunately and had to rest." Guinevere spoke up in reply. "That leaves me in charge I suppose..."

"I see..." Morgan nodded before a smirk came over her. "Still, to catch a fever? I suppose that's to be expected from a fool like my dear brother."

"Oh? Then what does that make you then child? After all, you're the one who was beaten by said fool~"

"Tch...! Remind me of that again and I shall cut out your throat hag."

"Do try child~"

"Is that right...!?"

Morgan stated, finally having enough of Merlin's mockery as she turned to face her former mentor.

"Enough!"

Guinevere cried out, getting in between two women herself, turning her attention towards the other white-haired woman.

"Please Merlin, let me handle this. You're only antagonizing her." She said, bringing Lucius forward as she continued. "For now, please just look after Lucius while I discuss things with Morgan about the alliance."

"Are you sure that's quite wise my dear?" Merlin asked, taking Lucius' hand in her own. "She did threaten you just now."

"I know that, but if Arthur believes that it's alright to bring her here in spite of the danger she presents, then I must see it through as his Queen."

Guinevere firmly replied, something that Morgan simply shook her head at in amusement. Her brother truly did pick a bride that matched his own brand of idiocy.

"Very well then." Merlin nodded in understanding before smiling at the former. "Be sure to behave alright Mo-Mo? You wouldn't want to anger the amazing Merlin right~?"

"Who are you calling Mo-Mo? Just leave already!"

Before Lucius could even protest about leaving his mother behind, both him and Merlin disappeared within a flash.

Within that brief moment however, the latter took the time to stick her tongue out at the Morgan as she disappeared.

Morgan simply frowned in anger at this. What was she a child?

* * *

"I see, so she said those things did she?"

"Yes, though I suppose it's my fault for saying what I did."

Guinevere replied, sitting beside her husband bedside as she tended to the latter as he rested, placing a wet cloth over his forehead.

"No, it's my fault. I should have told you about Morgan arriving today. It's just that I had-"

"I understand." The young queen smiled and replied softly, placing a hand upon her husband's cheek. "Don't you worry about it. For now, just get some rest."

"I know." Arthur nodded simply smiled in response as well. "What of Lucius? How is he?"

"Merlin had taken him with her somewhere in the Castle. I believe she did so just in case Morgan did anything to him." Guinevere replied, frowning as she held her hands together. "Are you quite sure about this Arthur? Allying with Morgan... You know how much she hates don't you?"

"Yes, which is why I asked that we join forces for the time being." Arthur stated, looking up towards the ceiling as he continued. "Morgan is a powerful magus. With the coming trouble, I wish to keep an eye on her more closely. And if she disapproves of me being on the throne, then I doubt she'd take kindly to outsiders wishing to invade the lands for themselves. Knowing that, it's better to have her on our side for the time being rather than not at all."

"But those aren't the only reasons are they...?" The former asked.

"Am I that obvious?" Arthur simply sighed, a crooked smile on his face as he spoke. "I love Kay and my father Ector, they will always be family to me. Still, knowing that I have a sister who's actually related to me... Through this alliance, a part of me wishes that she and I could get along even if temporarily. Consider it a foolish wish of mine I suppose."

"No, it's not foolish." Guinevere replied as she shook her head, smiling at her husband. "At any rate, I suppose that I should mention something in regards to the alliance. Morgan told me that she wishes to send over a knight of hers as her personal envoy on the Round Table."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, and I decided to send Sir Bors over as our own towards her. I believe he's capable enough for the task."

"I see. Did Morgan give us the name of the knight she's sending?"

"Ah, she said that his name is Mordred."

"Mordred?"

Arthur muttered to himself, a strange feeling in his chest as he repeated the name. He had heard of a knight by that name serving his sister before but not much.

"Well then, I suppose we should prepare for his-"

"Father~!"

...!

"Oof!"

Before either of the two knew it, Lucius appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto the bed. Landing atop Arthur's stomach much to the latter's chagrin.

"Lucius! What have I told you about doing something like that?" Guinevere scolded.

"Um... I'm sorry?" The young boy replied, somewhat embarrassed. "But I heard from aunt Merlin that father was sick, so I was worried about him!"

"My apologies son, your father being ill must make for a sorry sight doesn't he?"

"No, I don't think so." Lucius replied as he shook his head, smiling at his father as he continued. "But get better soon alright? You promised me that you'd play with me! You didn't forget did you? Did you? You _did_ forget didn't you?"

"I didn't forget." Arthur chuckled in response, sitting up as he patted the boy on the head. "Your mother just wants me to rest for now. Don't worry, once I'm better the first thing I'm going to do is play with you as much as you want. I promise."

"Yay~!"

"Now don't forget Lucius, you still have your studies to attend to." Guinevere replied, sitting on the bed as she held her son close with a smile on her face. "If you do well only then will your father play with you as much as you want. But if you don't..."

"I haven't forgotten!" Lucius stated with a pout. "And of course I'll do well!"

"That's what I like to hear." The white-haired woman replied, tightening her hug over the boy. "And I'm sorry, weren't able to spend much time playing because of what happened earlier. Do you want to continue where we left off?"

"Really?" The boy asked, a gleeful look in his eyes before it disappeared for a moment. "But I want to talk to father some more."

"You two can talk all you want later. For now, your father needs his rest." Guinevere stated in response before a thought came to mind. "I know! How about we go horseback riding on Llamrei? I know you'll love that!"

"Can we!?"

Lucius asked as Guinevere nodded much to his delight, a sight that Arthur simply smiled at.

Looking back on everything so far, he could never have imagined having a family of his own like this back when he first drew Caliburn from the stone. At one point, he believed such things were impossible for him with his duties.

"Hmm? What are you smiling at father?"

"Nothing my child, just go on and have fun. Don't mind me."

Lucius nodded, and together with Guinevere, both bid the young man farewell for now with the latter insisting once more that he get his sleep. Something that Arthur simply shook his head at amusement.

Right now, if there was one thing he desired more than anything else, it was to keep them safe and happy. As King, he was going to make it his goal to create a place where they can, together with all of his people as well.

On his honor, this much he would swear.

* * *

"I-I'm what...!?"

Mordred asked, unable to believe what she just heard.

"Come now child, have you gone deaf?"

Morgan replied, simply smirking in amusement at the former's reaction. At the castle where she had been banished to by her brother, both were currently standing at a balcony that overlooked the plains below.

"A-Are you serious mother? This isn't some sort of joke right!?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"It's not that...! But you've always hated father, so for you to-"

"Listen well Mordred..."

Her mother stated, quickly closing the distance between them as the former placed both hands on Mordred's shoulders.

"What we have now is a golden opportunity. I want you to work hard and become one of the King's greatest knights. Doing that will prove your loyalty to him, and when that happens he'll let his guard down around you. Once that's done... Well, I'll leave that to your imagination my dear~"

"Mother..."

Mordred frowned once her mother turned away, the latter giggling in amusement at her own words. She should have expected this. Years of living together with the woman before her had taught the young blonde about what her mother was like. Making use of alliance as a cover for her own plans was just like her.

Still, the idea simply didn't sit well with her. Not when her father was the prime target...

"What of the alliance you made with him? Is it just a ruse?" She decided to ask.

"Of course not, don't be silly. Lucius Tiberius and his army are indeed threats to this land. As the true heir to Britain's throne, I will not have barbarians such as that fool invade this country." Morgan replied, crossing her arms as she turned away from Mordred and looked towards the horizon. "And though it pains me to admit it, that man is also quite powerful on his own. Just to be sure, I'd much rather take him on only when I have another by my side."

"I see..." Mordred nodded in understanding.

"Now that that's settled, be off now. You need to prepare for you trip after all. Do your best and earn your father's trust alright my dear~?"

"Understood."

Mordred simply nodded once more, turning around as she walked away from her mother.

Much like the latter said, she might as well go and prepare for her eventual journey to Camelot for now. There were many things that needed to be settled first, most of which were trivial in nature such as making sure that her armor was clean but not spotless. She didn't want to appear like a knave nor a country bumpkin after all.

As the young blonde thought about what to do, her mind also went through what her mother had said.

Joining the Knights of the Round Table had been something of a dream of hers, and now she had the opportunity to do so.

But, to use that as an opportunity to kill her father...

 _'I refuse! Say what you will mother, b_ _ut I refuse to be your pawn anymore!'  
_

One thing was clear to Mordred. The moment she officially joined the Round Table, her mothers commands would no longer matter to her. That part of her was done.

A King without selfishness, a King who devoted himself to protecting his people, that was the type of leader that their country needed to lead it. The type of leader that her father was. No matter what her mother had said about him, nothing was going to change that fact.

And nothing was going to change how much she admired her father because of it.

 _'Still, to be able to have a chance at serving father...'_

Now that she thought about it, what should he say when they finally meet? Would her father be alright with having a knight like her serve under him? One who was relatively unknown compared to the other members of the Round Table?

Well, she supposed it didn't matter. So long as she proved herself, which Mordred knew that she could, he'll definitely accept her.

Definitely, even if she were to reveal her true heritage...

 _'No, that's not important!'_

Mordred shook her head, looking towards the sky above her for a moment before continuing on her way. Though she tried to ignore such thoughts, one came to mind.

Perhaps, maybe one day she could tell him...?

* * *

 **Extra Act:**

 **Strange Cafe**

(Written by **ForteOfTheBallad98** )

* * *

It was a quiet day in the routine of the cafe known as Ahnenerbe. The four Neco workers- Arc, Bubbles, Destiny and Evolution were frankly bored. It had been some time since the interdimensional Holy Grail War had brought any business, which meant they hardly got paid! As of now, they merely spent their time playing with balls of rolled up string or drinking shots.

"Ahhhh, business is bad this month..." Destiny noted, as Bubbles nodded enthusiastically. "We need the money! If only that Holy Grail War thing happened again, just like years ago! That brought in a lot of cash!"

They all nodded at her statement, cleaning more glasses or just lazing about. Indeed, they were quite massively bored- just recently, that organisation called 'Chaldea' had boosted their income quite a bit- especially as that King of Heroes had dumped more jewels at them just because he could.

It was unfortunate that the blue lancer guy had died from a rather improbable case of getting mauled to death by a dog. Everyone had been in complete shock, but had soon made sure the dog was fed with his remains.

Hey, dog food was expensive! They had to use any resources they had, you know!

All in all, business was pathetic. However...

The bell rung as the doors opened. Immediately, thanks to their instincts, they jumped into action! Cleaning all glasses and arranging all tables spectacularly... their atrophied skills immediately made themselves known once more! In the next moment, all the

"Ah, customers!" Neco-Arc, a small cat that bore a suspicious resemblance to a certain blonde vampire. "Please, come in, come in! We would be glad for you business!"

"Thank you for the hospitality," A young blonde man nodded to them. "I take it seats are available for our party?"

Neco-Arc briefly looked around the bar, taking in the space as well as the rather large party the young man brought with him, before nodding.

"We should have enough room-nyan!" Neco-Arc replied, as the Necos led the party to get them seated. "Please, have an enjoyable night!"

"We will, thank you!" Two blonde women who looked exactly alike answered at the same time.

After realising this, they blushed before sitting at one table with the young man, who was looking rather amused. At another table, another two identical girls sat at the same table, wearing the same skimpy outfit but having a slightly differing demeanour between them.

Destiny sat back over the bar, rubbing her paws together delightfully. "Ahhh yes-nyan, I can _see_ the money coming in now!"

Bubbles nodded vigorously, while everyone got seated and ordered drinks as well as getting comfortable on the cushioned, wooden seats.

Yes, business was good.

* * *

Arthur sat beside Jeanne at a table, drinking simple green tea. Looking across the table, his gaze sat on the _other_ Jeanne. By all means, she was identical to his companion, in terms of garments and attitude. It was to the point the only way to figure out whom they were was by seeing which Jeanne blushed in his presence. He privately labelled that one, 'M-Jeanne' and the other 'A-Jeanne'.

He may not believe himself worthy of love anymore, but even he wasn't oblivious to people caring for him. That was Galahad's department!

"So, you are Ruler in this 'Apocrypha' timeline, yes?" M-Jeanne asked of her counterpart. "It seems you experienced something quite different to us."

Yes. A-Jeanne had most definitely experienced a different Greater Grail War than them. For example, she hadn't summoned Arthur as her Servant partner- the Grail hadn't even asked her to. As well, there existed no Manaka there and because of that, the Greater Grail was stolen by Shirou Amakusa. Lastly, several Servants were in different classes and only Shirou was the Master of the Red Faction: from what she had told them, in addition Achilles was on the same side as Karna as Rider of Red.

Arthur gave out pity to the Black Faction. They truly wouldn't have been able to win anyway, especially because of Karna's invincible armor and because they had lost Siegfried, who had given his life to save that of A-Sieg.

Giving up his life to save someone else, as a way to atone for his past errors and to follow his own wish... Arthur stared at his tea cup in thought. It was a worthy end for Siegfried to experience, one that he could perhaps relate to.

After all, hadn't he wanted to save his people as a way to atone for failing them in life? Hadn't he wished to try and save them?

Now the King of Knights slightly understood why Brynhild had compared both himself and Siegfried to Sigurd. Understood, but not much.

"Indeed. I couldn't imagine a Grail War like this," A-Jeanne cut Arthur out of his reverie. "With so many extra Servants, as well as Rider-I mean, Achilles being your ally. It's much better than my Grail War. Though..."

A-Jeanne peered across at another table, watching M-Mordred and A-Mordred arguing about something or other, though words such as 'Father', 'male' and 'praise' stood out.

Arthur smiled good naturedly while sighing. Truly, it seemed Mordred was a universal concept: everything about her was the same no matter where she came from.

He didn't know whether that depressed him or made him happy, that his child in any world was a head-strong, slightly arrogant and vulgar girl.

"Is it wise to have Saber of Red as an ally?" A-Jeanne inquired. "I know that things are different here, but in my world... she was a vicious opponent to face and a bloodthirsty one at that."

"Mordred may be rough around the edges, but I vouch for her." Arthur replied, lowering his tea cup. "I'm proud of her, despite everything that happened between us."

A-Jeanne looked at him strangely, before blushing and drinking more tea from her cup. At the same time, M-Jeanne gained a curious look about her that Arthur wasn't used to seeing, and as such had trouble deciphering it. Was she happy he defended his child? She had to be, but something about her features told Arthur that he was treading on thin ice.

"I can see why you like him..." A-Jeanne mumbled, causing M-Jeanne to blush. "He's quite chivalrous and kind."

"I-Indeed!" M-Jeanne replied hastily. "Arthur is a very nice partner! He shows concern for me, is happy when I am happy and even does the cooking! All in all, he is the perfect-eep!"

M-Jeanne cut herself off by planting a hand over her mouth. Curious, what was she going to say, Arthur wondered. It was adorable however, and he had several ideas on how to induce her to enter that state in the future. Hmmm, would Achilles be willing to help though?

M-Jeanne was flustered for several minutes, before removing her hand and staring down into her cup once more, mumbling about something or other.

"So tell me more about your companions," Arthur requested of A-Jeanne who stopped blushing. "You told us that Sieg is your primary ally?"

"Yes." A-Jeanne replied. "Sieg... he is a very reliable ally despite his 'handicap'. Even now, I don't quite understand why he chose to fight."

A-Jeanne looked down into her cup, deep in thought. Sieg had gained Siegfried's heart, Arthur recalled- this allowed him to transform into Siegfried for a brief period of three minutes. He peered at A-Sieg, who was sitting by himself and just talking to M-Astolfo, who was berating him loudly for some reason.

What a resolve... Sieg was a homunculus, a being with a short life. To have made the decision to fight for something, to actually _live_ despite his destiny being pre-ordained... it was quite admirable, and reminded Arthur of someone- though he couldn't quite recall whom.

The White Knight turned his eyes to the opened part of A-Sieg's shirt. Narrowing his eyes, he caught the sight of something black that resembled scales covering the homunculus' skin.

So that's what that was. Now Arthur knew the price that A-Sieg had paid for his power, the cursed power to assume the form of Siegfried.

He turned his attention away, back to A-Jeanne who had noticed his look towards A-Sieg. Arthur also caught her blushing at the homunculus briefly before turning down to her cup and sipping the tea delicately.

"You love your Sieg, don't you?" Arthur pierced the heart of the matter.

A-Jeanne blushed immensely and spat out her tea comically, drawing a bit of scene. It was quite hilarious, how she spat out the tea like it was a projectile. It took nothing for Arthur and Jeanne to dodge it, only hearing a smack as one of the hosts was knocked to the ground.

"W-w-what do you mean, Arthur?" A-Jeanne stuttered. "Sieg is just a friend- nothing else! Although, he certainly is quite pure, not like those men from the army... Even Gilles..."

"Hoh? So it's like _that_ is it?" Arthur replied slyly, smiling. "You love Sieg because he's pure, right? But... correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he only some months old?"

A-Jeanne froze in her blubbering, staring at Arthur in blank shock. Arthur, to his credit, noticed and continued on. It had been a while since he amused himself, so he was taking this opportunity to relax and let loose a little.

"I mean, not like there's anything wrong with it. But given what you've told us, it sounds as if you're raising Sieg to be the perfect husband. After all, you _did_ tell us that you found him a place to stay and gave him suggestions, right?"

"I-I...!"

"Not to mention... he seems rather attached to you as a result of your help. Quite impressive- I wish a few of my knights took a queue from how you built up your bond."

"It's-!"

Arthur was having too much fun, something that abruptly ended when he felt something _clench_ on his shoulder. Turning around, his face quickly paled when he saw M-Jeanne's hair hiding her features with a black aura surrounding her.

M-Jeanne had evidently taken poorly to Arthur's teasing of her counterpart. He should have expected this to be honest, but the role he had inserted himself into had been too much fun. Now, his Instinct told him, he was going to pay for it.

" _Arthur...!_ " M-Jeanne growled unexpectedly.

"Y-Yes, Jeanne?" Arthur gulped, his shoulder aching and trying to find a way out of this perilous situation.

All of a sudden... an ahoge sprouted from atop M-Jeanne's head and her sapphire eyes turned amber. Her growl spread into a sadistic smile and she readied two of her fingers.

" _You shouldn't flirt with other women. Now I have to punish you~"_

"P-please forgive me, Jeanne... _GAHHHHHHHH!"_

* * *

Uncaring of their father's distress, the two Mordreds eyed each other up. Like rival lions trying to take over the other's pride and territory, they were unwilling to give ground when it came to a certain issue. Their Masters were elsewhere, talking over various things, while the two Red Knights 'talked'.

Finally, M-Mordred spoke.

"...Father accepted me you know." A triumphant tone in her voice, M-Mordred smirked. "He's accepted me as his child."

A-Mordred gritted her teeth, acknowledging her counterpart's point. "Gah, that doesn't mean anything! Your father is different to mine."

M-Mordred smirked. "Really? We're both Mordred, so we're both the children of King Arthurs. So my father _is_ your father."

A-Mordred huffed at this, taking a swig of whiskey from a glass beside her. "Tch, at least I haven't softened up like a prude! You aren't killing any of these Servants I see: I would have been able to kill them all!"

"Remember one of Mother's lessons?" M-Mordred asked, causing them both to tense up. "'The enemy of my enemy is my ally'. This alliance is only gonna last as long as that priest has his head, and that girl has the Grail. After that... I'll take care of these fools."

The silence stretching between the duo became deafening, before A-Mordred turned briefly to look at Arthur and M-Jeanne wistfully. She took a deep swig of her drink, belching, before M-Mordred noticed she was looking at her.

"Still, can't believe Father is a guy here..." A-Mordred mumbled. "He's handsome, just like that damn Galahad..."

M-Mordred widened her eyes at this piece of important information. "W-what? Father's a woman where you come from?!"

A-Mordred nodded. "Yeah. I mean, no-one could tell 'cause 'he' always wore armor, but as 'his' child, it's only natural I would know the truth!"

M-Mordred stewed over this information. Father... as a woman? How could she visualise this? Was her counterpart's Father as tall as her own, but with big breasts? Or would the 'other' Father be small and petite, fragile like that Guinevere had been?

For some reason, the thought of big breasts made her growl in discomfort, before noticing A-Mordred's leering look.

"What'd you want now?" M-Mordred spat out tersely, drinking from her own glass now.

"She's better than Mother at least." A-Mordred jutted her head towards M-Jeanne. "Tch... your Father's such a weakling for falling for someone like her. Then again, you're just like him too- a big family with that Ruler."

The wording made M-Mordred both angry and warm for some reason. True, Ruler _was_ better than their mother at least- she didn't have the spine for wanton cruelty and fanatical devotion to sadism, but she was just as annoying in how naïve and idealistic she was. How _had_ Father fallen under her thrall?

It took her a moment, but she realised... _her counterpart had insulted Father._

A timer like a bomb ticked in her head, before ringing. When it did so, M-Mordred gnashed her teeth together before, without warning, launching herself across the table at her counterpart.

"You bitch!" M-Mordred roared. "Father isn't weak! He could beat your Father!"

"As if, you soft idiot!" A-Mordred punched her in the face viciously. " _My_ Father is the best in the world!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

" _NO!_ "

" _YES!"_

Soon, the fight had escalated into a full brawl. Each of them took glasses and smashed the other over the head with them, causing blood to spill in copious amounts. M-Mordred smashed her elbow into her opponent's midsection, while she received a painful headbutt after headbutt.

It was a war between two sides. Both Mordreds dealt exceeding amounts of damage to the other, neither of them falling- they refused to fall to the one that had insulted her, even if their opponent was themselves! Using any tool at their disposal to beat the other into the ground, the bar was soon engulfed in violence thanks to them.

Eventually of course, their Clarents were drawn, and then the cafe was covered in red lightning.

Arthur sighed deeply into his cup of tea, which miraculously he had managed to keep holding. He was scuffed and bruised from his earlier punishment, but M-Jeanne was currently sleeping on the ground, alcohol spilling around her in a sort of watery halo.

"...Mordred is such a problem child. Only she could fight _herself_ over an insult."

Fou, whom had been nestling against his leg, nodded vigorously.

* * *

Ahnenerbe was left in complete ruin by the end of the brawl, which eventually encompassed the entire party. Bones were broken, blood spilt and many people had to be sent to the hospitals in order to recover. Strangely enough, M-Mordred seemed to have been the victor of her own brawl, holding her fist up triumphantly while Arthur scolded her.

Speaking of, the Necos were currently talking to him and M-Jeanne in ways that they could repay the debt.

"We're sorry for causing so much trouble." They apologised, bowing their heads. "We promise to make it up to you."

"Do you know how much money this is going to take to fix?!" Destiny roared, outraged. "Taking into account the broken furniture but also the state of the back room, as well as the bar itself... you'll be paying the debt even when you go back to that Throne!"

In the face of the Neco's wrath, Arthur and M-Jeanne gulped loudly. A purple haze rose around Destiny before sharpening into the fearsome glare of a lion that wished to devour them as its next meal.

"Well well, it can't be helped." Chaos noted, speaking up from dusting up remains. "Hmmm... there's a way to solve this. Once the cafe is fixed up, you two and the troublemakers will work off your debt, by working _here_ as staff."

It was a reasonable demand: Arthur and his group had no personal money at that moment beyond what they had used on this trip and as well, Ahnenerbe had been completely trashed- even if they had money left over, it wouldn't have covered all the expenses.

"Ah, you're too kind. We would be glad to pay off the debt that way." M-Jeanne bowed, before grabbing Arthur's arm. "Come Arthur. We still need to have that talk..."

Arthur gulped, but went along with M-Jeanne's dragging. Just as he did so however, there was a ringing as someone entered the cafe. Arthur, as he passed her, looked at the girl in curiosity.

She had long, raven-coloured hair that went down her back, and wore a brown jacket with a fur collar. Under that, she wore a white shirt and surprisingly short shorts, completing her ensemble with thigh-high boots. Her expression was fearsome and those blood-red eyes, focused and cool, reminded Arthur uncomfortably of his sister.

Their eyes briefly met and Arthur saw how her eyes widened in surprise, before she schooled her features and continued her saunter into the cafe. The King of Knights was about to disregard the encounter, before he saw who followed her in.

A Knight wearing predominantly white armor, with blue robes flowing from underneath them. His chest armor had numerous straps on it, and there was something resembling a hood attached to it through the straps. His face was concealed by a full helmet: two horns twisted and faced forward, with the visor looking like teeth, with green 'eyes' situated just below the horns themselves. Overall, the helmet resembled the head of a dragon, and the knight's posture was almost akin to one.

He knew who that was, even as they passed each other with nary a word or acknowledgement.

They both knew who the other was, even if there was no hint to show that they recognised one another.

Arthur _knew_ who the draconic knight was- of course he knew, but his mind for some reason couldn't truly understand it. There was only one person that wore armor like that and carried himself with the demeanour of a humble king. Even from here, as M-Jeanne finished dragging him out of the cafe, he could see wisps of wind collecting in the right hand of the mysterious armoured knight.

The sight of wind collecting itself into the shape of a sword... it confirmed his suspicions.

He was dragged out fully from the cafe by M-Jeanne and could no longer see the duo, but heard one thing from the girl, whose tone was arrogant yet somewhat polite.

"My name is Misaya Reiroukan and this is my Servant, Saber. We're here to make _arrangements_ for the future..."

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

And that's it for the anniversary chapter. Again, hope you all enjoyed it. I'm kinda bushed lately so they may not be up to par as much as I'd want them to be.

The first segment with Vlad and Elizabeth was something I've been meaning to write ever since the first anniversary chapter one year ago. But thanks to the fact that I was sick at the time, I wasn't able to include it. Thankfully I'm able to do so now. It's also going to be spread out among into two or three segments at best since I feel a one-shot may not do it justice at all. I also hope that Vlad is working out during the segment as I feel made him a tad out of character during it. Having not written him in a while, I need to gain my bearings.

Now for the second segment. Well, not much to say really except that I wrote it to provide a little more insight to Ayaka's backstory in my verse, as well as confirming once and for all that Elsa was the one who took care of her after the HGW where she lost her family. Also, if any of this contradicts some info I've said before regarding the Tohsaka, mostly about Ayaka that is, in FMB then consider this the proper info I've been meaning to get out. Thing is that until now I wasn't really thinking about backstory much whenever I wrote about them.

As for the third segment. Mostly wrote it to debut Morgan into my story since I've been itching to do it ever since CH17. Much like the segment with Elizabeth, it's going to span more than just one so that I can properly expand on her. In fact, I'm half-tempted to write an entirely new story that focuses on her and Arthur's relationship and history with each other. Think of it as a possible Garden of Avalon-esque kind of side story prequel.

Lastly the Extra Act. Much like the Extra Act last year, this one was also written by **ForteOfTheBallad98**. I wasn't originally planning on adding a fourth segment since I already had enough on my plate to write. But when the Apocrypha anime aired an idea came to mind where Arthur and Jeanne meet Apo-Jeanne that Forte offered to write it himself and expanded on. Again, thanks for that man :D And note, he's solely responsible for said segment. I only provided the basis for the idea. Also, for context regarding that last bit he wrote, it's a sort nod to the fact that he's writing a fanfic about Misaya and Arthur called **_False Utopia_** where the two are the central protagonists. For those curious, they can ask him about it.

Lastly, apologies to anyone who expected to see another preview for Lunar Regalia. Though I pondered about doing one, decided against it since I'm still in the middle of planning the entire thing. To which, not much has been decided upon yet aside from the central teams featured in FLR. No comments on that matter either ;)

* * *

 **Guest Reviewer Section:**

 **Garrick:** The answer is simple really. When summoned as a Lancer, Achilles' spear basically works like Diarmuid's spear Gae Buidhe (Or was it Gae Daerg?) as a spear capable of inflicting wounds that don't heal. But when summoned as a Rider however, the spear doesn't have this affect. And if you know Perseus' backstory in Fate/Prototype with his Master in that entry, that should explain something my version of him. I can't really say much aside from that.

 **Derek:** Siegfried can only get so much development even if he did have more spotlight in the original canon. Even if he was axed early on in the original novel, he was fleshed out well enough to be honest. As much as one could with how he was written as a character.

 **Logan:** Yes, the thing about Rhon was a reference to the FGO Lion King.

 **No Name:** Vasavi Shakti is basically a god-slayer, so yes I imagine it would be very effective against Heracles and his God Hand.

 **Guest 3:** Nah, it's not that. Vlad going "Darnicula" in canon was a tad ridiculous for me even with the power up he got. That and I already wanted to end the battle at the Yggdmillenia castle by that point. As for the rest, the story simply writes itself. Whether the Lancers are luckier here in FMB compared to other stories depends on the person reading. Personally, they're still pretty unlucky to me with the exception of Karna. The latter always had more dignity compared to most other Lancers in canon so he doesn't really count.

* * *

Speaking of which, I really slowed down compared to my first year with FMB. Managed to put out 22 chapters before the first anniversary hit. As of the second one however, I only managed to put out 6 chapters instead. Here's to hoping that I don't slow down anymore. And no worries about me losing my muse though. I'm always full of love for FMB :D

Anyway, that's it for now. Please review :D


	31. Act III-29: Prelude to Battle II

**_AN:_** Here's chapter 29! Hope you all and enjoy, and please review :D

 **Update (12/20/2017): Included Ramesses in the last scene. Forgot to do it before XP**

* * *

"Ah, 'tis a glorious day~!"

Shakespeare commented, passing by several windows within the fortress as he gazed at the morning sky beyond them. With the Hanging Gardens of Babylon floating high in the air, there was nary a cloud in the sky that he could find. He could only bear witness to the blue sky instead, a sight which reminded the playwright of the sea.

Ah, but that was a mistake. In truth, the ocean had no color of its own but merely reflected the color of the sky.

"Hmm? Oh, it's you Caster."

A voice called out, to which Shakespeare turned his head and smiled as he saw a certain black-haired youth.

"Greetings young master Julian! How does the day fare you?"

"So-so I suppose..." Julian replied. "I take it you're off heading to meet up with Kotomine and the newest addition to our forces?"

"Ah yes, Master did mention that he was going to formally introduce Lord Cu Chulainn to us all." Shakespeare commented with a smile, wanting to finally meet with one of the great heroes of Ireland. "That's part of the reason yes, but not all of it as you can quite so clearly see here."

The playwright stated, to which Julian finally noted the thick paperback he had in his hands.

"I take it that's the script for the next play you've been wanting to show to Kotomine?"

"Correct you are my dear lad! Though I spend my time observing this great festival known as the Holy Grail War, it would be quite unbecoming of I, William Shakespeare, to not write at least one play for the modern world to see!"

"Of course..."

"Are you curious? It's tragedy involving a young man following the path of justice. As he goes on his journey, he faces a number of trials each greater than the last which tests his commitment to his ideals. In doing so however, he loses more and more of his humanity. Loses everything he once cared about!" Shakespeare exclaimed, posing with a number of exaggerated gestures. "Do you wish to take a _sneak peek_ as they say? I can guarantee that it's quite the epic~!"

"I'll pass."

The black-haired youth stated as he shook his head. As much as an enjoyable read the works of Shakespeare were to him, he didn't really have the time. From how thick the script looked alone, he guessed that it would probably take hours to finish it.

"Ah, 'tis a shame then."

"At any rate Caster, have you felt anything strange today?"

"Hmm? Whatever do you mean?"

"Nothing. Wondering to myself if the security measures for this fortress are indeed up to par."

"No worries there my young master Julian. Though I was no magus in life, even I could tell that this grand palace is not something that any mere mortal can invade."

"That's right, most people probably couldn't get into this place if they wanted. Probably not without a fight that is~"

...!?

Julian froze up, hearing a somewhat familiar voice call out to them.

Turning around, they saw a blonde-haired girl wearing a blue dress curtsying as she spoke.

"Hello there, my name is Sajyou Manaka."

The girl greeted with a sweet smile on her face, turning her attention towards the English Playwright.

"William Shakespeare... I'm going to have to borrow you alright~?"

"What are you-!?"

...!

"CASTER!"

* * *

 ** _Chapter 29:_**

 ** _Prelude to Battle II_**

* * *

"..."

Jeanne sighed to herself, lying atop her bed as she allowed her thoughts wander.

Hours had already passed since breakfast, morning turned to noon and no trouble in sight according to Caster's familiars. Perhaps they could get away with having another free day today. Well, the sun was still out so she supposed that it was still too early to say that.

A part of her wondered what the Rogue Faction was up to right now. Likely planning their next assault now they've taken out the King of Conquerors and the Hound of Chulainn. She also wondered about Manaka and her Servants. It was only by chance that Kairi Shishigou's group had been attacked by them, and apparently it wasn't even planned a planned assault like what happened with the El-Melloi's group.

 _'With two Servants lost, we really can't afford to act carelessly anymore.'_ She thought to herself. _'Splitting ourselves up into three groups was a mistake to begin with. It should have been just one search group instead while others remained here.'_

They had about nine Servants left including herself. They would need to start managing how they acted from there on without being careless. She managed to talk with Fiore about their next move and wanted to discuss it with others. However, with both Waver and Kairi having one out to the city for a meeting of their own with someone, Jeanne decided that it would be best to wait until both got back.

Apparently, whatever their meeting was about it was going to help them in this war. How exactly Jeanne didn't know, and before she could prod the two about the subject they had already left much to her chagrin.

As a result, she was currently just lying on her bed thinking on what to do next. Perhaps Arthur would-

 _"About Guinevere... do you still love her?"_

 _"I do, and I always will."_

A frown quickly grew on Jeanne's face. Why did she have to remember that?

Ever since then, she found it incredibly awkward to be near Arthur after their talk that morning. She couldn't even look him in the eye, not without remembering what happened and her own reaction to it. Her heart would race whenever she did, and she found that it was simply too embarrassing to deal with!

Luckily for her, Arthur had volunteered to go out for a while to do some grocery shopping with Aya and Gray. She was glad for it, as that meant some time away from him and time for her to clear her thoughts without his presence to disturb them. The last time she was this troubled was when Arthur had accidentally-

 _'Wait, why am I remembering that!?'_

She shook her head as she sat up, looking herself over the mirror at the other end of the room and took note of the visible blush on her face. Her frown simply grew even more as she saw this, lying back down as she hugged a pillow close to her body. The soft feeling it had giving off a sense of calmness to the young saint.

 _'It's nothing, I should just ignore it. Regardless of how I feel it just doesn't matter!'_

Jeanne thought to herself, again and again for the past couple of hours.

Yet, no matter how much she tried, it was useless...

"I love him..."

...!

She froze up, shaking her head as she buried it in her pillow.

Simply speaking the word itself made her feel incredibly embarrassed. She had always felt love in the familial sense towards her parents and feelings of camaraderie with her comrades of old during the Hundred Years War. Bonds that she would always treasure no matter how much time passed.

Yet this love, romantic love as it were... this was the first time she ever felt it.

Jeanne would be lying to herself if she never felt an attraction towards another before. But that was cut short when took up the sword and banner. As a result, this truly was the first time she ever felt such strong feelings towards another. From a woman to a man...

She only had to ask why now of all times? In the middle of a debacle like the Great Holy Grail War, why did she have to fall in love with Arthur?

"What's the matter Jeanne? You're looking kinda sick right now you know~?"

"Wha...!?"

A voice called out to her, causing Jeanne to nearly jump in surprise as noticed a certain pink-haired paladin seating on Arthur's bed with a grin on his face.

"A-Astolfo!?"

"Hehe, the one and only~!" Astolfo greeted with a wink. "The door was open, so I thought-"

...!

"OW! What was that for!?" The former cried out, holding his head in pain.

"Regardless of whether or not the door of a room is open, one shouldn't simply enter it without knocking first! Especially if a woman is in that room!" Jeanne reprimanded with a slight huff in her tone. "Seeing as you're here however, did you need me for something?"

"We're both from France so I though we could talk for a while...!" He stated. Well, technically he was from Britain but the point stands. "How cruel of you to hit me on the head! I'm kind of your senior you know!"

"Then you shouldn't have entered without permission."

"Ugh, you're such a stiff." Astolfo stuck his tongue childishly at the young saint. "If you're what Saber has-No, I mean what Arthur has for a Master, then I pity him for having to deal with such a troublesome girl."

"W-Who's troublesome!?"

The young saint demanded in slight indignation. She wasn't really troublesome was she?

"Ahahaha! The look on your face is priceless right now, you're actually asking it yourself aren't you~?"

"No I'm not!" Jeanne stated with another huff. "If all you're going to do is make fun of me then I suggest you leave Astolfo."

"Oh come on, I'm just being friendly." The young paladin held his hands up in apology. "Besides, you were looking kind of down earlier so I was curious. Did you get into a fight or something with Arthur? That's it isn't it? Ever since you two came back earlier you've been acting strange around him."

"No, that's not it at all." Jeanne replied, sighing to herself.

"Aw, so it really wasn't a lover's quarrel~?"

"No, it's-Wait, what!?"

It took a minute for the words of the pink-haired Servant to sink in. When she finally realized what he said, the young saint quickly turned her head, so fast that she might have gotten whiplash had she been human, and gazed at the paladin with great incredulity.

"W-What do you mean by lover's quarrel? Arthur and I aren't in that sort of relationship." She replied, trying to remain calm.

"Eh? Seriously? Sorry about that I guess." Astolfo stated with honest surprise. "With how close the two of you come off, people would think otherwise. Well, I guess I should explain to Caster that she was wrong then. She and Berserker will probably be disappointed."

Jeanne momentarily paused at this. Did he just admit that the three of them were actually gossiping about her relationship with Arthur with each other?

She shook her head, she didn't even want to know.

"Listen well Astolfo. To begin with, my feelings for Arthur are nothing more than-"

"Love correct~?"

"No!"

"Oh, so you _don't_ like him then~?"

"What? Of course that's not it, Arthur is someone very important to me!"

"As a lover~?"

"...!"

The young saint's merely gazed at the young paladin in annoyance. He wasn't going to stop until he made her admit it would he?

"Well, since you say that you don't like him that way, then I suppose that little _'I love him...'_ had a different meaning to it~?"

Jeanne froze up at this, becoming incredibly flustered as a visible blush formed on her face. Being unable to contain himself once he saw this, the paladin simply laughed in amusement. Knowing that there was no point in hiding it, young saint sat back down with her head looking down as she sighed.

"That's mean, teasing me like that..."

"Sorry, sorry, I really didn't mean it. No hard feelings right~? I mean it was just so obvious so..."

"How long did you all notice...?"

"For while now I guess. I bet some of the others already know too~!" The young paladin nonchalantly stated with wide grin. "Well, maybe except for Sieg since he doesn't really know much about relationships yet. But I guess that's natural considering-Hmm? What's the matter Jeanne?"

"Nothing, don't mind me..."

"Whaa! I'm sorry! Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying..."

She really wasn't. Jeanne simply buried her face in her hands. Embarrassment couldn't begin to describe what she was feeling now.

* * *

"Is that everything?"

"I think so. Well, with the amount of people staying with us I guess this is enough."

"True."

Arthur replied as he, Aya, and Gray left the convenience store together. Their hands full of the day's grocery as requested by Ayaka. Seeing as it didn't feel right to just leave the shopping to two young ladies, Arthur volunteered to help. He had more than enough free time after all.

Since the estate wasn't far off, the trio simply opted to walk back.

"How are you? After the last battle, I imagine that things aren't easy for you are they?"

"I-I'm fine, really I am." Aya replied, somewhat taken aback by the suddenness of the question but quickly picked herself up. "Thank you for worrying about me, I appreciate it Saber-san. Losing Lancer was terrible, but I'm not about to let it keep me depressed all the time. At the very least, I could do something like this and help grandmother out with the chores."

"Once again on behalf of the others, apologies for imposing on you all." Arthur stated. "I feel that we're being a burden on you and Ayaka for sheltering us."

"It's no trouble, I think grandmother likes having so many people around. Uncle Tokiomi and his family rarely visit these days so she's probably a little lonely."

"What about your parents?"

"...! Oh, uh... they're not really around anymore either..."

"Ah, my apologies. That was rude of me." Arthur stated, scolding himself mentally for not realizing sooner.

"No, no, it's okay. I've already gotten over it. It's been years already after all...!"

Aya quickly waved off, trying to assure the former who frowned slightly at her words. It was obvious to him that there was still pain in her words. He could only grimace at the fact that Aya, just like her grandmother, had lost her parents at a young age as well.

A cruel thing it was, letting a child grow up without either of parents to watch over them...

"So anyway, Saber-san-"

The young blonde began, changing the topic to something a little less awkward.

"Please, call me Arthur." Arthur interrupted. "Considering that there are also two other Sabers with us, it might be easier for yourself and the others to just call each of us by our true names instead. It's not like our enemies don't already know who we are."

"I suppose that's true." Aya nodded in understanding. "So anyway, I know this might be personal... but did you and Ruler-san get into a fight recently?"

"Hmm? What brought this on?"

"It's nothing really, it's just that I kinda noticed her acting a little strange earlier during breakfast."

Arthur understood. Jeanne had been strangely quiet throughout their breakfast together with the others. She had this somewhat sullen aura surrounding her, and the young man could only wonder what brought on such a mood.

"So you noticed it too have you?" He sighed, looking up at the sky. "To be honest, I don't know what's bothering her. She was alright when we went on a walk during this morning, but afterwards..."

"Did the two of you get into a fight?" Aya asked.

"We didn't. Or at the very least, I don't think I did anything to offend her."

Arthur replied. He did tease her about her clumsiness earlier but he didn't believe that she'd hold a grudge over something so trivial as that. It had to be something more, and he was intent on finding out what it was. As a Servant, it was part of his duties to help soothe his Master's troubles after all.

"Hmm..." The blonde nodded in understanding before smiling. "Well, considering that it's you two, I think you'll make up before long."

"I suppose."

...!

Both perked up when they heard the sound of loud crunching. When they looked towards the source, they noticed Gray with large bag of chips in her hands while eating.

"Haha, hungry are you?"

Gray didn't reply, merely nodding her head as she continued with her task.

"Gray-chan, you don't really talk that much do you?" Aya commented.

"Is that a problem?" Gray asked, swallowing for a moment as she spoke up.

"No, no, not at all."

The blonde shook her head in reply. Watching the white-haired girl was like watching a cat to be honest. She was so quiet and demure, yet when in battle was quite formidable as she was nimble. It was thanks to that same prowess that it was easy to forget that Gray was actually two years younger than her.

Once Gray had replied to her, the girl quickly went back to eating. Once she did, Arthur spoke up.

"Be sure to not eat too fast or else you'll choke."

At that moment, a rare sight occurred for Aya...

"I'm not child..."

Gray replied, a somewhat flustered look on her face as she spoke while pouting. Aya had to admit, she looked cute.

"Technically you are until you've reached eighteen. That's the standard for the majority of modern society is it not?"

Arthur replied with a grin on his face. Gray simply hardened her stare at the former.

"Don't call me a child."

"Haha, my apologies. I didn't mean to upset you, please don't stare at me with such cold eyes."

"I'm not upset."

Gray replied as she marched ahead with a slight huff. Arthur merely shook his head in amusement at this.

He then turned his attention towards Aya, the latter of whom surprised him as she had a somewhat stunned look on her face.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. It's just that I'm surprised is all. I didn't know that you and Gray-chan were close to each other." She replied. "I think that's the first time I've actually seen her act like that in the small time we've been together at least."

"Is that right?" Arthur smiled, gazing at the hooded girl. "Well, a lot of things happened I suppose."

"A lot of things...?"

Aya repeated, wondering what that could have meant as the trio continued their way home.

* * *

"Man I could get use to this..."

Caules commented, sitting atop his bed as he scanned the room that he and Fiore shared within the Sajyou Estate. Compared to the castle that their family owned, the estate was rather quaint in comparison. It provided something of a warm homely feeling that not many magi houses could have. Through it, one would be able to tell that the owner, Aya's grandmother, was a good person.

"Hmm? Did you say something Caules?" Fiore asked, sitting at a table as she continued with adjustments to her Mystic Code.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing." The young man replied. "It's just that this is place is nice don't you think? Nothing like back home at all. Even in the middle of a situation like ours, I can feel myself relaxing just by being here."

"I agree, this place has a lovely feeling to it." The former nodded her head in agreement. "It'll be a little sad that we'll have to leave once this is all over. I would have loved to explore the city a little more, especially now that I can finally stand on my own two feet."

Fiore paused from her work, pulling back from the table to gaze at her now functioning legs. Smiling widely, she quickly stood up and twirled around somewhat. A sight that caused Caules to simply smile as well, amused by the sight of his sister.

She had been repeating the process again and again ever since yesterday. It was like she was a like a little kid who found out that Christmas came early.

"You know, I never imagined you to be the twirling type with all the things you do."

"Hehe, can you blame me?" His sister giggled. "It's simply amazing that Archer of Red had something that could cure my paralysis on him, it's almost too good to be true."

"I'm still amazed that you even considered taking something like that from him at all. What if it was poison?"

"I don't think Archer is the type of person who would do that Caules." Fiore shook her head in response. "Siegfried even agreed with this on me. You only need to look at him to know that he's a very proud person. I believe with all my heart that he wouldn't allow himself to resort to poison to kill his enemies, at least if he could help it that is. You saw him fight the other day didn't you?"

"I did, and I still can't believe that the Association managed to summon someone so powerful." The young man stated with a slight shiver. "Just thinking about what he could have done if he fought against us during that first assault on the castle... I don't even want to know."

"Neither do I, we were lucky that Lord El-Melloi decided to keep him restrained back then. Otherwise we're likely to not be standing here right now." The brunette sighed to herself as she sat back down. "Anyway, I've discussed with Ruler about what we should be doing now with both Rider of Red and Miss Aya's Lancer are now gone. We've agreed to withhold a meeting for now until Lord El-Melloi and Mister Shishigou return, but I suppose there's no harm in telling it to you with what we've come up so far."

"I'm all ears."

"Alright then." Fiore replied, tucking away her Bronze Link Manipulators as she turned to face her younger brother. "Since we now know about the location of Sajyou Manaka's whereabouts thanks to Archer of Red, both me and Ruler think that we should turn our attention towards finding out where Kotomine Shirou and his entourage are themselves."

"Trying to find a giant flying fortress shouldn't be that hard, unless they managed to cloak something that big." Caules said, scratching the back of his head. "Any ideas on how we're going to do that?"

"We take Ruler along with Rider and Berserker and have them scout from the skies." The former simply replied, noting the somewhat blank look her brother had. "I would've cared for something a little thought out myself, but for now I'm afraid that's the only thing we could think of. At least until both Lord El-Melloi and Mister Shishigou come back with whatever this information they're seeking is."

"Don't worry, I understand."

Caules nodded in understanding. Whatever it was, both men quickly left the estate the moment a strange call came upon the house. It must've been really important.

"Still though sis, what do you think the chances are of us making through this?"

"To be honest? I don't really know." Fiore stated, leaning into her chair as she allowed herself to sigh once more. "It was one thing going into a conflict like the Holy Grail War, but now we're part of a fight to help save the world. I don't think anyone could be prepared for something like this."

"Makes me wonder what father would've thought of all this."

"I think he wouldn't have cared." Fiore smiled somewhat bitterly at the memory of her father. "Knowing him, the grail would be more important. After all, if used correctly it's basically a golden ticket to the Akashic Records. What magus wouldn't want to jump at the chance to use it?"

"So then... would you use it too?"

At this, Fiore simply gazed silently at her brother. Knowing what he was asking.

"I would. After all, as the heir to... No, as the current head of our family, I have a duty to seek Akasha as well." She replied, her tone neutral as she spoke. "Reaching it is the only thing that's important."

"I see..." Caules replied, standing up as he turned to leave the room. "Say, sis..."

"What is it?"

"... No, it's nothing."

With that, Caules left the room as he walked down the hallway. Sighing to himself as he held his head with one hand.

 _'So she says, but do you really mean it Fiore?'_

* * *

"Come on, you're not mad are you?"

"I'm not mad, I just don't want to talk right now."

Jeanne replied as she sat on her bed, pouting at Astolfo who had been sitting crossed legged on the bed opposite of her with a wide smile on his face. For the past half-hour the latter had been doing nothing but bother her about her feelings for Arthur. Asking her the exact moment when she fell for him. Asking her if they've gotten into any interesting accidents so to speak.

She was actually starting to get annoyed with how persistent the pink-haired paladin was being. It was like he was like he was a gossiping housewife. Right now she was trying to remain silent, seeing if that would be enough to deter Astolfo.

"Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with developing feelings for him." The pink-haired paladin stated with a thoughtful look.

"I'm not hearing anything...!" She lied, turning her head away while taking a pillow to cover her ears with.

"Oh? Then if that's the case then maybe I should talk to Arthur about this~?"

"NO!"

Jeanne quickly shouted, her red-colored cheeks signifying her embarrassment much to Astolfo's amusement.

Frowning at the smile he was giving off, she simply huffed and turned her head away once more.

"Have you had enough? Teasing me like this..."

"Hehe~! Sorry, I just can't help it!" The paladin replied, scratching the back of his head. "It's just that you're so cute when you're embarrassed."

"Y-You think so...? Wait, that's not the point!" Jeanne quickly added. "Promise me you won't mention _any_ of this to Arthur! Swear on your name!"

"Wow, you really don't want him to know do you?"

"Now is not the time for such frivolity." She replied, frowning somewhat as she continued. "I... no, we cannot afford any distractions. Besides, I'd only be wasting my time telling him, and such selfishness isn't permitted for one of my status to begin with."

"Who said you'd be wasting your time? Don't shoot yourself down before you even try."

"That's..."

Seeing the look on the young saint's face, Astolfo couldn't help but feel bad now for teasing her the way he did earlier. It was clear to him now that the entire thing had been troubling her for some time. How long, he didn't know. What he did know was that it wasn't going to go on any longer.

"If that's the case, then why don't you talk it over with Big Brother Astolfo~?"

"Huh?"

"I happen to know a thing or two about relationships. Since you look a little lost, this great paladin will help guide you with some advice."

"I-I don't need advice...! And besides, I already told you that I-"

"I'll take that as a yes!" Astolfo interrupted with a smile. "Don't worry about it~! After all, since I am your senior as a Heroic Spirit, I see it as part my duty to help out my juniors. And I'm more than happy to help out a maiden in love~"

"You won't quit bothering me unless we talk won't you?"

"Yep!"

Jeanne sighed at this, knowing that there was no escape given how persistent the paladin was in talking to her about the subject. She might as well answer whatever questions he had, she just had to be careful about what she was answering to.

Evaporation of Sanity, a skill representing Astolfo's friendly yet tactless nature. How accurate the name was.

Seeing that she was now being complacent, the young paladin proceeded to question his victim-No, his friend. That's it, his friend~

"So then, since when exactly did you start looking at you know who with maidenly eyes~?"

"Don't say it like that...!" Jeanne pouted, slightly flustered as she continued."Though to be honest, I don't really know. I simply saw him as a dear friend at first, but then before I knew it, I've started to see him as... well, you know..."

The young saint admitted, becoming ever so flustered by her own words that her face started turning red once more. Astolfo couldn't help but smile at this, she was simply too adorable looking like that!

 _"Hey Caster, are you seeing this?"_

 _"I can. Please, continue on. If she's already like this then I can't wait to see how much more embarrassed she can become~!"_

 _"Will do!"_

Let it be known that the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne wasn't one to leave friends out of his fun. Thank god for telepathy and the magical recording device that Medea had lent him earlier. Jeanne's embarrassed face was a goldmine that's meant to be shared after all~

"Astolfo?" Jeanne called out.

"Huh? Oh, moving on~!"

Astolfo declared as the young saint narrowed her eyes at him. The momentary pause from the paladin felt suspicious. What was that about?

"Anyway!"

He suddenly exclaimed, surprising the blonde as he got near her.

"I have to ask, have the two of you gotten into any _interesting_ accidents?"

"Interesting accidents...?"

"Oh, you know..."

The pink-haired paladin began, whispering several things into the young saint's ears. Things that were rather...

"...!?"

...Scandalous in nature.

...!

"OW!"

* * *

"Hehe, he shouldn't have asked that."

Medea commented with a slight chuckle. The blue-haired woman was currently seated at a table with a crystal ball placed atop it, the latter of which helped her observe the conversation between Astolfo and Ruler through another piece of crystal that she had given the paladin. It was meant to be a means for her to see through the perspective of the Servants and as well as serve as a means of communication. She had tasked Astolfo to test it outside, but she didn't expect for something like this.

For the past half hour or so, she had been doing nothing but listen in on the conversation between the two. All the while the crystal she provided gave her a front row seat to the wide range of emotions that Ruler could pull off with her face. Simply put, it was adorable~!

"I really should talk to her about trying on a few outfits~"

She muttered to herself, smiling at the thought of the young saint in various outfits of her choosing. Compared to her era, modern fashion trends were much more to her liking. She had even gone out to buy some clothes for herself before the war began. Some of those outfits would make a decent fit for Ruler. And luckily for her, Elizabeth had recently come back from a shopping spree which meant many different styles to choose from.

Well, considering the size of the pink-haired girl compared to the blonde, some adjustments might be needed. It was nothing she couldn't handle.

"Hey, you just thought of something rude didn't you?"

"Oh? I have no idea what you're talking about~"

Ah, she had nearly forgotten the fact that Berserker had been sitting together with her at the table. She had showed just as much interest as the blue-haired woman did in Ruler and her embarrassment.

"I'm surprised that you're even here Berserker. I didn't take you for one interested in matters like this."

"Who wouldn't be interested~? You don't get to see something like this happen often." She replied with a wide smile, clearly amused by what she was seeing. "And with this, I have something to mess Ruler with later. It's going to be so much fun~!"

"Hehe, truly a mischievous girl you are at heart." Medea commented with a slight smile.

Aside from herself, Berserker had been the only other Servant in their group who had a less than reputable name thanks to the actions that they've taken in life. To put it simply, the two of them were the villains of society so to speak. Perhaps it was because of that fact that the two of them could talk casually like this.

"I might have a suggestion. Shall we dress her up~?"

"Ooh! That sounds like fun!" The pink-haired girl clapped her hands in delight. "There's nothing like stripping a girl down and putting them into embarrassing outfits. Should we dress her up as a maid first?"

"How about dressing her up in a bride dress? Just imagine her reaction to Saber seeing her in it~"

"Nah, it'd probably look too good on her to be funny."

Elizabeth muttered, a hint of jealousy in her tone. As much as she prided herself in her own beauty, Ruler was admittedly more beautiful than she was. It really wasn't fair that a common farmer's daughter got to be so pretty whereas she was, for a lack of a better term, lacking in comparison.

 _'Was it the milk? It was the milk wasn't it!?'_

...!

"Berserker, do take care to not break the table with your hands."

"Huh? Oh, uh, sorry..."

She replied, somewhat embarrassed by what just happened. Aah, that's not good. If Uncle were here, he'd chew her out for what she just did. It's just that thinking about Ruler's looks annoyed her so much... she needed to do something to vent!

"Oh! I know!"

At that moment, something came to mind for the pink-haired Servant. She ran out of the greenhouse and quickly came back with a bag in hand.

"Oh! How about we dress her up in this~?" She said, pulling out the bag's contents.

"Oh my, that's..."

Medea began, a hand hovering over her mouth in surprise. Her eyes full of delight over what she saw.

"You like it? I guess it's a little funny looking, but I thought that it was cute so I brought it anyway." She added as an evil smile grew on her face. "You think you could use your magic to adjust it for Ruler's size~?"

"Just leave it to me."

The witch replied, a smile on her face as both women started to giggle ominously.

"This conversation is starting to become disturbing..."

Siegfried commented, standing to the side not too far from the two women. He had overheard some of the things said between both and could only grimace over what was said. Suffice it to say, he pitied Ruler for what was going to happen to her.

...!

"Gaah!"

The Dragon Slayer's attention quickly snapped forward at the sound of an explosion.

No sooner than he did, he saw Sieg being blown away into a wall by Achilles. Breaking it apart as the former laid in a heap of debris, groaning visibly in pain. At this, the latter simply sighed as he began walking over towards the young homunculus.

"Hey now, don't pass out on me kid!"

"Easy now Lancer, he's not a trained warrior like we are."

Siegfried stated as he went over and helped Sieg stand up. They've been going at it for hours now. With this much heavy training in so little time, he was starting to worry about the latter's welfare. Everything they were doing would be for nothing if he ended up becoming too injured to fight later on.

"And that's why I'm training him Spartan style. Gotta build up that skinny figure of his after all." The Adamant Hero declared with a grin, going over to Sieg and pulling him back to the center of the area. "And you worry too much. We have Caster here, so she can patch him up if it comes to it. Just need to be careful about hitting anything vital."

"Sorry, but with that casual attitude I'm even more worried."

"Gah, you're such a mother hen." Achilles shrugged in response before getting into position. "Anyway, ready kid?"

"R-Ready!"

...!

"Geez, talk about getting into it. Lancer sure is having fun."

Elizabeth commented, gazing at the two as they sparred with a blank look on her face.

She had initially come here to watch out of curiosity, but it was basically just Rider's Master getting trounced over and over again. She was even starting to wonder if this could even be considered training at all. Especially given the smirk on Achilles' face as the two sparred.

"Do you want to join them? Considering your own abilities, you might be able to impart some helpful lessons to Sieg."

"As if that would ever happen." Elizabeth waved off. "Teaching isn't my thing, much less teach a rabbit like that one."

"Rabbit?"

"Yeah. Rider's Master kinda reminds me of one." She replied before putting a finger on her lip. "Although, under the right tutelage, he might become a fine assistant to me one day. Idols like me always need one after all, and he has the right looks too. Maybe I should train him~"

"Do remember that I'm asking you to train him as a dragon and not as a stagehand." Medea sighed in response.

* * *

"Gah, what's taking so long...!?"

Within the confines of a hotel room was the group of Waver, Kairi, and Mordred. The trio currently waiting on the appearance of their informant for some time now. Thanks to how long it was taking, the latter started complaining as she laid herself atop a bed and began rolling around childishly on it. Kairi simply sighed at this as he spoke.

"Oh would you stop whining already? If you want you could just head outside for a while."

"If I left you alone then who knows what might happen." Mordred pointed out as she sat up and crossed her arms with a pout. "Besides, it's no fun going out by myself. So you're stuck with me either way."

"Fine, fine, just relax would you? There's still half an hour before he's late." Kairi replied with a wave of his hand. "And you don't have to worry about this guy we're meeting, I've worked with him before. Kind of a stiff, but I've never known him to be a backstabber for no good reason."

"Are you sure? You said it's been years since you've met him, so..."

"I know, I know. Already have a backup plan just in case, which is you by the way." At this, Mordred smiled proudly at herself. "Still, even if he was up to something, I already know most of his tricks. Even checked the area for possible traps earlier and found none."

"You did? Then why didn't you have me help then?"

Mordred asked. She had been wondering what took her Master so long when he said he was going to the toilet.

"Servants won't be able to detect the kind of traps I'm talking about right away." The mercenary stated with a shrug, looking towards Waver before continuing. "What's the matter? You're looking kinda tense, feeling nervous?"

"Not so much." Waver replied as he shook his head. "I'm simply surprised by the fact that you knew him is all."

"Oh? You've met him too?"

"Once, back when I was still ignorant fool that is." The long-haired man stated with a slight smirk. "Either way, I didn't think he was still alive after all these years. I heard that he went underground, but I didn't think he'd suddenly pop up like this as part of our information network here."

"Neither did I. Considering his rep and the things he's done, it's a miracle he was even allowed to work with them. I know a few people who carry a grudge." Kairi said, muttering the last part. "He's probably using a pseudonym or something."

"Who is this guy anyway? Some sort of big shot?" Mordred asked as she sat up with a curious look on her face.

"In a sense. He used to be a sort of renowned mercenary, but over ten years ago he went silent." Kairi replied, lighting a cigarette in his mouth and blew. "He's kinda like me I guess, a mage who chases the life of a mercenary. Well, _chased_ anyway. He apparently retired after all."

"Are you sure that the information is good? Him and the others knowing about the whereabouts of Kotomine and his group?"

"I'd trust it, he wouldn't drag us out here if it wasn't. Besides, we've tried the magical approach already with Caster's familiars. And it'd probably take too long for us to find them if we went with Ruler's detection capabilities. Kotomine's a Ruler-Class Servant himself, so he'd know what to expect. We gotta use an outside source."

"Agreed, let's just hope that this is going to help lead us to something."

...!

The sound of someone knocking on the door quickly interrupted their conversation.

"Ah, he's here."

Kairi smirked, standing up as he went over to the door.

Opening it, he was greeted by the appearance of a man with black hair wearing a matching suit and longcoat.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Shishigou?"

The man spoke. Mordred took note of how much of a scruffy looking person he was thanks to the messy hair and a light stubble he had. It clashed with the somewhat formal attire that he was wearing. A suit similar to the one being worn by Rider of Red's Master at the moment. The difference was like night and day.

However, that wasn't what caught her attention the most...

"Yeah, almost ten years now I think."

If there was one thing she had to note about the man that stood at the door...

"Saber, let me introduce you. This guy right here is..."

...It was that his eyes had seen hell.

"Emiya Kiritsugu."

* * *

"Thank you for gathering here everyone."

Shirou stated as he stood in the center of the throne room of the Hanging Gardens. With the exception of Perseus, Julian, and Shakespeare, surrounding him were all other members of the Rogue Faction. The Servants of whom all looked perplexed as to why they were all called so suddenly.

"So then, what's this about?"

Atalanta asked. She had been the middle of prayers to Artemis when she been interrupted by her Master's call.

As for the others, Richard and Perseus were sharing drinks with one another whereas Karna had been standing outside observing the scenery below the castle.

"Did something happen Master? Could it be that we're to plan our next assault now?" Richard asked.

"Nothing special, I just thought that it was time to introduce you all to our newest member."

...!

Within a moments notice, blue light hovered around the area next to where Beatrice stood.

Soon enough, a familiar looking blue-haired Servant appeared with a smirk on his face while resting an elbow over his Master's head. Much like his previous incarnation, he was wearing the same armor as before but with a different set of clothing to compliment it underneath. Clothes that were akin to robes and a long coat.

"Yo, I'm Lancer. Let's get along I guess."

Cu Chulainn greeted, waving two fingers in salute to his new comrades.

"Would you not use me as a stand!?"

Beatrice demanded. Newly summoned and already her Servant was starting to annoy her as much as the old one.

"Come on, no harm in it right?"

"Shut it, it's embarrassing!"

The former yelled out, pushing Lancer away as the latter simply chuckled in response. Angelica simply sighed at the antics of the two. She only hoped that it would be more cordial compared to the one Beatrice had with Robin Hood.

"Hahaha! It warms my heart to know that we have another comrade to share our troubles with." Richard said, stepping forward as he raised his hand towards Lancer while smiling. "My name is Richard I. Others know me by the name of Richard the Lionheart, but you can simply call me Richard or perhaps Saber. Tis' an honor to meet the Hound of Chulainn himself!"

"Heh, you already know who I am?" Cu Chulainn replied with a brief chuckle, shaking hands with the former as he spoke. "Well maybe I shouldn't be too surprised all things considered. You seem like a good guy, let's get along Saber."

"Here here!"

Unimpressed by this, Atalanta simply crossed her arms and turned to speak to her Master.

"Hmph, so this is the reason? I would've thought that it was something more important, but we've already sensed him being summoned earlier today. You would interrupt my prayers for a simply introduction?"

"Come now, no need to be so cold to our new fried." Shirou replied with a placating tone. "He will, after all, be joining us in our fight from here on out. I believed that it was only natural that you all try to get along."

"We'll see about that."

The Chaste Huntress simply replied, narrowing her eyes at the blue-haired Lancer as she turned her attention towards him.

Not long ago he was an enemy that she and the others had to face off against. To think that now he was suddenly their comrade. She knew that part of it was because he couldn't remember his past summoning due to a fault with the cards. If not for that, he would have likely struck at them already.

Still, even knowing that the Hound of Chulainn was technically on their side now, a feeling of unease had spread itself throughout her body. It just didn't feel right...

"What is it Archer? You don't like me because I'm a man or something?"

Lancer asked, taking note of the hard gaze being sent his way. He already knew the identities of the others thanks to his Master and that Kotomine kid filling him in.

"It's not that." Atalanta shook her head in reply. "I just need to know Cu Chulainn, why do you fight with us?"

That got everyone's attention. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence-

"No reason really, I'm just interested in having a good fight."

Cu Chulainn casually stated without missing a beat. Atalanta was somewhat taken aback by this, not expecting such a quick and simple response.

"Is that it? Nothing more?"

"Look, I've already lived my life. I shouldn't even exist right now." He began, gazing at his fellow Servants as a wide smirk grew on his face. "But here I am, in a room filled with strong warriors with others out there wherever they are. As a warrior myself, the only I thing I could possibly want is to have a good old fashion brawl where I can fight to my heart's content. Anything wrong with that?"

"...No, I suppose not."

The Chaste Huntress simply sighed. Well, that response had put her somewhat at ease. A part of her wanted to ask more, about why he wouldn't use the power of the grail for something greater, but she decided to not press the issue. She supposed that in a way, that made Cu Chulainn similar to Karna.

Speaking of which, she then turned around and walked over towards a certain white-haired demigod.

"Karna, do you have any problems teaming up with Cu Chulainn?"

"None." The son of Surya replied, gazing at the Hound of Chulainn as he chatted with Richard. "Regardless of what happened before, it doesn't really matter. So long as our Master wishes us to team up with him, then I will obey. I suggest that you do so too, if only to save yourself the trouble of not getting along with him later on."

"I'm not worried about not getting along, but rather something else..."

"Uneasy that he's forgotten his pact with his previous Master are you?"

"Nothing gets by you does it?"

"It was obvious from the way your eyes looked." Karna replied, crossing his own arms as he spoke. "You didn't show this type of reaction before when it came to Lu Bu. It's curious that you would do so now."

"..."

"Apologies, did I offend?"

"No, you're not exactly wrong to begin with..."

Atalanta stated as she shook her head, sighing once more. It was true, that was probably what was bothering her. She didn't have any problems when it happened with Lu Bu, but that was mostly because he was a Berserker-Class Servant.

Still, the idea of using Cu Chulainn against his former comrades... even though it was a pragmatic choice, she couldn't help but feel it was dishonorable.

"CASTER!"

...!

Everyone quickly paused once they heard voice calling out to Caster. Whatever reason it was, the voice was panicking.

"That was Julian's voice!" Shirou said as he turned to Semiramis. "Assassin, if you would...!"

"Very well."

* * *

"T-This is...!"

The moment the teleportation ended, Shirou and the others were greeted with an unexpected sight.

"M-Master Shirou...!"

Shakespeare called out, the latter of whom was currently being strangled mid-air by multiple black tentacle like appendages. To the side lay Julian, the young teen currently being restrained by the same black tentacles as well.

All the while this was happening, a young blonde haired girl stood before the two. Smiling sweetly as she gazed at the arrivals.

"Ah, it's Shirou-kun~"

"Sajyou Manaka!?"

The white-haired hero spoke in shock. He hadn't expected her to suddenly arrive at their fortress like this. Why was she here!?

"Hey you little bitch! What do you think you're doing to Master Julian-"

...!

Before anything else could be said, Beatrice was struck in the stomach hard by a tentacle and quickly sent flying backwards. Luckily for her, before she could land her new Servant had caught her. Fortunately there weren't any serious injuries, though the girl was now unconscious as a result of the attack.

"Geez, dolls shouldn't be so noisy and vulgar." Manaka stated with an annoyed pout as she turned to Julian. "You really should teach that girl some manners. I've seen how she acts. Doll or not, such a lack of delicacy is a big no-no for a lady after all~"

"Duly noted..."

Julian replied, gritting his teeth in frustration at being bound as he tried to free himself to no avail. Whatever it was that was holding him down it was strong. He couldn't even budge an inch, and it managed to take down Beatrice with one hit.

If that was the case...

 _"Master, we can strike her now!"_

 _"Do it!"_

...!

"What...!?"

From out of the shadows, several Assassin Personas fell down to the ground as a lone figure stood amidst them. One with dark-colored skin and violet hair who wore similar clothing as well, even bearing the same type of mask on her face.

"Too slow, last inheritor."

"Thank you Serenity-chan." Manaka said as said Hassan simply nodded in response. The former then turned her gaze back towards Julian. "That was rude, I wasn't even done talking yet and you're ordering your Assassin to kill me. Now I see where that girl gets it from."

...!

"Gagh!"

The black tentacles tightened their grip on Julian, forcing a pained gasp from the black-haired youth.

"That's quite enough, Sajyou Manaka..."

Shirou stated, stepping forward as he took out a katana...

...!

"Hah...!"

With a single slash, the black tentacles disappeared. Julian breathed out a gasp of relief as he was freed from his bindings. As soon as he was, Richard leaped in and quickly got the former away from the blonde-haired girl to safety. Knowing that he was going to be alright, Shirou continued to gaze at Manaka with a hard stare.

"If you continue to harm my allies, then I will have no choice but to retaliate. Is that your wish?"

"Of course not silly, I'm not here to fight~" Manaka replied, tilting her head to side rather cutely. "Besides, why would I want that~?"

"Unconvincing considering that you have that mad writer in your hold."

A voice called out, and soon enough Semiramis herself appeared beside her Master. A hardened look in her eyes as she stared at the girl before her.

"Heh, so you're the ancient Queen of Assyria..." The blonde said, looking the Assyrian Queen from top to bottom. "A pleasure to meet you~!"

"The pleasure's mine..."

Semiramis replied with a frown. She hadn't even sensed this girl appearing within her own domain at all. Just what form of magecraft was she using to disguise her presence so well? In a place where she, the Queen of Assyria, reigned supreme?

But she supposed that could wait. Right now, they had other matters to attend to.

"Sajyou Manaka, just what do you want with Caster...?"

Julian spoke up from behind them, surprising the others with what he said. She was after Shakespeare?

Hearing this, Shirou simply turned to face the young blonde once more.

"Is this true?"

"It is." Manaka cheerfully replied. "You don't mind if I borrow him do you? I promise I'll return him~!"

"Heh, you may keep him if you like. I couldn't care less, and I doubt the others would as well considering how useless he's been so far."

"O Queen of Assyria, such harsh words you speak...!" Shakespeare spoke out, his tone both frantic yet somewhat amused.

"But Shakespeare is part of our group is he not? It would be bad form for us to simply hand him over." Richard stated, drawing his sword as he readied himself for the inevitable as he gazed at the others. "Do you not agree with me everyone?"

"Indeed." Karna nodded in agreement.

"I haven't really gotten to know him yet, but yeah. Whatever." Cu Chulainn simply smirked as got into a stance.

"I agree as well. Though I do find him annoying, he hasn't warranted enough of a reason for us to simply abandon him." Atalanta added, staring at the blonde-haired girl with a narrowed look in her eyes as she continued aiming her bow at the latter. "Besides, something about this girl feels incredibly wrong."

"How mean~!"

Manaka stuck her tongue out at the Chaste Huntress who simply raised her guard even more.

This girl... she was covered in the stench of death!

Perhaps it was part of her animal instincts, but a part of her wanted to run away then and there. While was she no stranger to bloodshed, Sajyou Manaka's entire being was covered with the presence of death so much that she had to ask herself if the girl before her was even human to begin with. She heard from her Master that was the case, but seeing her in person had put that into doubt.

"Well you heard them." Shirou stated with a slight grin on his face. "What will you do now Sajyou Manaka? I remember you saying that you wouldn't interfere with us, but clearly this can be considered interfering. Shall I take this as a sign of war between our two groups?"

"Hmm... I didn't want to pick a fight, but I guess that was impossible." The young girl murmured to herself before smiling cheerfully once more. "Alright, then I guess I'll just have to do it the hard way then. Take care of this for me everyone!"

...!

Several black portals opened up behind Manaka. Through them, three more figures appeared.

"..."

"Ehehehe~!"

"Oh! This is one heck of a fortress you people have here!"

Arash complimented, as he and Brynhild appeared within the hallway. The latter gazing at the warriors before her with a loving look in her eyes.

"Hehe, so it's these two is it?"

Richard smiled somewhat, having heard of their battle prowess from both his Master and what Assassin had reported.

...!

A stomp interrupted his thoughts. Before he even realized it, a third figure appeared beside both Arash and Brynhild. One who towered over both in height and sheer presence with a fearsome gaze in their eyes.

"Oh my..." Richard commented.

"Whoa, that is one big guy!" Cu Chulainn added.

Heracles, the son of Zeus, had appeared. Breathing slowly as he dragged alongside him his golden axe.

 _'We have to fight him...!?'_

Atalanta cursed their luck. Even now, as confident as she was in her skills and those of her comrades, against Heracles she was still having second thoughts.

"Heracles, this is our first time meeting is it not?"

A voice called out, and no sooner than it did Perseus appeared alongside his comrades. Harpe at the ready along with his shield.

"And just where have you been?" Atalanta demanded.

"Apologies, I was outside admiring the view when I sensed something disturbing." Perseus replied, sweating slightly at the sight of the black-skinned giant. "I have to say, I never thought I'd be facing him like this so soon."

The man that was both his great-grandson and his half-brother through Zeus, known far and wide as one of the greatest heroes in the world. Truly, this wasn't going to be an easy fight at all. Especially in a confined space like they were in.

"Angelica, get ready to call forth Berserker!"

Julian called out as the blonde nodded. They were going to need all the firepower they could get, and what better way than to pit Berserker against Berserker?

 _'Now that I think about it, their Berserker is none other Lancelot isn't he...?'_

Manaka thought, an idea coming to mind as she began contemplating to herself. A smile slowly forming on her face once more as she gazed at the Black Knight's Master.

...!

"Wha!?"

Before anyone even realized it,the young blonde had closed the distance between herself and Angelica within the blink of an eye.

"Excuse me, but I'll be borrowing you for just a second"

She stated, quickly subduing the older blonde with her abilities before turning her attention towards her own Servants.

"Be sure to behave you properly you guys~! I'll come back later when I'm finished."

With that, Manaka disappeared together with Angelica and Shakespeare through one of the portals. As soon as she did...

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Heracles roared, beginning his charge against them as his comrades readied themselves as well.

"Tch! No choice then!"

...!

A flash of light enveloped Shirou. As it soon died down, his clothes were soon revealed to have changed. Gone were his priest's uniform and cloak, now replaced with a regalia befitting a Samurai warrior. His short hair now in a ponytail that expanded in length enough to reach past his waist.

He quickly unsheathed his sword, a katana once owned by a certain one-eyed swordsman, and got into a stance.

"Ready yourselves, we will not fall here!"

...!

Just as he said that, an explosion rocked the fortress.

"Who dares...!?"

Semiramis demanded, taking a look outside with her magic as she saw the one responsible for the attack.

"Hahahahahaha...!"

There, floating just within range of the gardens, was Ramesses. Arms crossed as he stood atop a giant sphinx, several smaller versions of which floated alongside the the Sun King as he grinned at the sight before him.

"Ruler! It's time that I paid you back for your treachery!"

* * *

Seated in the middle of a garden, a certain white-haired magus sighed to herself having observed the entire situation unfold.

She honestly didn't expect that girl to make her move so soon. Alas, jealousy was a prime motivator for any woman. And now others were to pay the price as a result.

Still, if that was the case...

"I suppose it's time for me to make my move as well."

Merlin smiled to herself, she had been dying to meet with her dear student again after all this time.

* * *

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

And so ends Chapter 29. Damn did it take long to finish. Apologies for the wait everyone, got sidetracked due to real life business along with a combination of my own laziness at work. And this is after me joking that I've been slowing down with the chapter output lately XP

In regards to Jeanne in this chapter, her scenes can be basically summed up me bullying Jeanne through Astolfo XD One of my regrets about the first two acts is not having enough interactions between her and Astolfo (Since they're both French based heroes, although Astolfo is actually from Britain) and so I wanted to fix that a little. Same with Medea and Elizabeth, since I feel them being the only two Servants with questionable backgrounds among their team would give them a sort of bond with each other.

Anyway, nothing much to say about this chapter I guess. It's basically just a set up for the next big fight along with some fluff. I kinda wanted to jump straight to the fighting, but that wouldn't have worked out I set it up right. I personally have my own issues with this chapter since I feel it's not up to par, so I might edit it a lot in the future if the mood strikes me. And as for Kiritsugu's appearance... don't worry, it's just that. I don't really intend to make use of him that much. It's basically just fanservice for his fans. He's just there to help set up a few things. He could've been replaced with anyone else, alas the dart board spoke XD

Also, regarding the Hanging Gardens ability to hide itself. I don't know if that's actually possible in canon, but given that within it Semiramis is a powerful magus, and the fact that she's an Assassin-Class Servant too, I think it might be possible.

Lastly, I was quite glad to see that a lot of you liked the second Bonus Act. That makes me smile :D

 **Update (12/20/2017): As stated above, included Ramesses in the final part. Forgot to do it initially, and only now was I reminded of it.**

* * *

 _ **Guest Reviewer Section:**_

 **Logan:** Never said I was a fanatic for canon. Proto-Merlin being female was just too sweet an idea for me to pass up on thanks to the potential hilarity I could unleash through it. And as I _made a point to mention_ before, _**ForteOfTheBallad98**_ was responsible for writing the last segment. I gave the initial idea of both universes meeting in Ahnenerbe, but everything else including Jeanne turning Alter was entirely on him.

 **Garrick:** I'll probably make another Bonus Act next year, the content of which, aside from the stuff with Morgan and Elizabeth, may vary depending on the mood. Pray to God though that I at least managed to write six and more chapters before then XD As for what I think of the Apocrypha anime, it's honestly just as "meh" I though it would be. Nuff said on that matter. And you can't compare Sieg to Irisviel because it doesn't work as an excuse at all. The latter already has a developed personality by the time we see her in the novels. Sieg doesn't, which isn't helped by the fact that he's one of the main characters either.

 **Corey:** The only thing I took away from Achilles as a Lancer in my fic was his chariot more or less.

 **Lorenzo:** Probably, I wouldn't write Lucius in without at least showing him and Mordred interacting at one point.

 **Terra:** I wouldn't have included these three at the same time without there at least being a triple threat between them XD

 **Mavericks:** Did I say that Amakusa never said anything? I don't think so, at least to my memory that is. Either way, since I already had Arthur explain some of the basics to his teammates, the same could obviously be said for Amakusa. I just didn't want to repeat the same basic scene again if I could help it.

 **Guest:** I don't really plan on abandoning FMB anytime soon. The ideas for it are all there in my head, just need to find the proper mood and moment to write, and that's increasingly hard to come by lately.

* * *

Anyway, that's it for now. Please review :D


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